brilliant

English

Etymology

From French brillant, from Medieval Latin as if *berilare (“to sparkle like a beryl or other precious stone”), from Latin berillus, beryllus (“a beryl, gem, eyeglass”), from Ancient Greek βήρυλλος (bērullos, “beryl”).

Pronunciation

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• IPA: /'bɹɪljənt/

Adjective

brilliant (comparative more brilliant, superlative most brilliant)

1. Shining brightly.

   the brilliant lights along the promenade

2. (of a colour) Both bright and saturated.

   butterflies with brilliant blue wings

3. (of a voice or sound) having a sharp, clear tone
4. Of surpassing excellence.

   The actor's performance in the play was simply brilliant.

5. Magnificent or wonderful.
6. Highly intelligent.

   She is a brilliant scientist.

Synonyms

• (shining brightly): glittering, shining
• (of a colour: both light and saturated):
• (of a voice or sound: having a sharp, clear tone):
• (surpassing excellence): excellent, distinctive, striking, superb (obsolete except in UK usage)
• (magnificent or wonderful): exceptional, glorious, magnificent, marvellous/marvelous, splendid, wonderful (obsolete except in UK usage)
• (highly intelligent): brainy, ingenious
• See also Wikisaurus:intelligent

Related terms

• brilliance
• brilliantine
• brilliantness

Translations

shining brightly

• Bulgarian: ярък (bg) (jarǎk), блестящ (bg) (blestjašt)
• Catalan: brillant (ca)
• Czech: zářivý (cs)
• Dutch: stralend (nl)
• Finnish: loistava (fi), säteilevä (fi)
• French: brillant (fr)
• German: strahlend (de)
• Hebrew: מבריק (he) (mavryq)
• Irish:

  Old Irish: gríanmar

• Italian: brillante (it)
• Norwegian: lysende (no), strålende (no)
• Polish: błyszczący (pl)
• Portuguese: brilhante (pt)
• Russian: блестящий (ru) (bl'est'áščij), сверкающий (ru) (sv'erkájuščij)
• Spanish: brillante (es)
• Swedish: lysande (sv), glänsande (sv), gnistrande (sv), strålande (sv)
• Volapük: nidik (vo)

of a colour: both light and saturated

• Bulgarian: искрящ (bg) (iskrjašt)
• Catalan: brillant (ca)
• French: brillant (fr)
• German: strahlend (de), brillant (de)
• Italian: brillante (it)

• Lojban: carmi (jbo)
• Norwegian: strålende (no)
• Portuguese: brilhante (pt)
• Russian: блестящий (ru) (bl'est'áščij), сочный (ru) (sóčnyj)
• Spanish: brillante (es)

of a voice or sound: having a sharp, clear tone

• Catalan: clar (ca)
• Finnish: kirkas (fi)
• French: brillant (fr)
• German: brillant (de)

• Norwegian: klar (no)
• Portuguese: claro (pt)
• Russian: хрустальный (ru) (khrustál'nyj)

surpassing excellence (primarily UK usage)

• Armenian: փայլուն (hy) (p’aylun)
• Bulgarian: блестящ (bg) (blestjašt)
• Catalan: brillant (ca)
• Dutch: briljant (nl), meesterlijk (nl), virtuoos (nl)
• Finnish: loistava (fi)
• French: brillant (fr)
• German: brillant (de)
• Hungarian: briliáns (hu)

• Italian: brillante (it)
• Norwegian: enestående (no), genial (no)
• Polish: znakomity (pl), świetny (pl)
• Portuguese: brilhante (pt)
• Russian: блестящий (ru) (bl'est'áščij), блистательный (ru) (blistátel'nyj)
• Spanish: brillante (es)
• Swedish: mästerlig (sv), virtuosmässig (sv)

magnificent or wonderful (primarily UK usage)

• Armenian: փայլուն (hy) (p’aylun)
• Bulgarian: великолепен (bg) (velikolepen)
• Catalan: brillant (ca)
• Dutch: briljant (nl), schitterend (nl)
• Finnish: loistava (fi)
• French: brillant (fr)
• German: brillant (de)

• Italian: brillante (it)
• Norwegian: enestående (no), storslagen (no)
• Portuguese: brilhante (pt)
• Russian: блестящий (ru) (bl'est'áščij), великолепный (ru) (velikol'épnyj)
• Spanish: brillante (es)
• Swedish: briljant (sv), lysande (sv), strålande (sv), storslagen (sv)

highly intelligent

• Armenian: փայլուն (hy) (p’aylun)
• Catalan: brillant (ca)
• Dutch: briljant (nl), geniaal (nl)
• Finnish: nerokas (fi)
• French: brillant (fr)
• German: genial (de), brillant (de)
• Hebrew: מבריק (he) (mavryq)

• Manx: ard-inçhynagh (gv)
• Norwegian: enestående (no), genial (no)
• Polish: genialny (pl)
• Portuguese: brilhante (pt)
• Russian: блестящий (ru) (bl'est'áščij)
• Spanish: brillante (es)
• Swedish: briljant (sv), genialisk (sv), högt (sv) begåvad (sv)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

• Mandarin: 光明, 燦爛, 灿烂 (chán làn)
• Mandarin: 明亮的, 明亮的 (míng liàng de)
• Mandarin: 輝煌的, 辉煌的 (huī huáng de)
• Mandarin: 明亮的, 明亮的 (míng liàng de)
• Mandarin: 出色的, 出色的 (chū sè de)
• Mandarin: 英明的, 英明的 (yīng míng de)

Noun

brilliant (plural brilliants)

1. A finely cut gemstone, especially a diamond, having many facets.
   • Alexander Pope

     This snuffbox — on the hinge see brilliants shine.

   • 1891, Arthur Conan Doyle, A Case of Identity

     “And the ring?” I asked, glancing at a remarkable brilliant which sparkled upon his finger.

2. (printing) A small size of type.
3. A kind of cotton goods, figured on the weaving.

Translations

finely cut gemstone

• Bulgarian: брилянт (bg) (briljant) m
• Dutch: briljant (nl) m
• Finnish: briljantti (fi)
• German: Brillant (de) m
• Hungarian: briliáns (hu)

• Italian: brillante (it) m
• Portuguese: brilhante (pt) m
• Russian: бриллиант (ru) (brilliánt) m
• Swedish: briljant (sv) c

External links

• brilliant in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• brilliant in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
• brilliant at OneLook Dictionary Search

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Crimean Tatar

Etymology

French brillant.

Noun

brilliant

1. brilliant.

Declension

    declension of brilliant

nominative	brilliant
genitive	brilliantnıñ
dative	brilliantqa
accusative	brilliantnı
locative	brilliantta
ablative	brillianttan

References

• Useinov & Mireev Dictionary, Simferopol, Dolya, 2002 [1]