English Explanatory Dictionary

brilliant

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Shining brightly.
  2. Both bright and saturated.
  3. Having a sharp, clear tone.
  4. Of surpassing excellence; magnificent.
  5. Highly intelligent.
  6. Great, wonderful.
noun
  1. A finely cut gemstone, especially a diamond, cut in a particular form with numerous facets so as to maximize light return through the top (called "table") of the stone.
  2. The size of type between excelsior and diamond, standardized as 4-point.
  3. Most hummingbird species of the genus Heliodoxa.
  4. A kind of cotton goods, figured on the weaving.
verb
  1. To cut (a diamond) with many facets, to make it into a brilliant.

Pronunciation

/ˈbɹɪljənt/ en-us-brilliant.ogg /ˈbɹɪ(l)jənt/ /ˈbrɪl(lɪ)jᵻnʈ/

Word forms

brilliant more brilliant most brilliant brilliants brillianting brillianted

Etymology

Borrowed from French brillant (late 17th century), present participle of the verb briller, from Italian brillare, possibly from Latin berillus, beryllus (“a beryl, gem, eyeglass”), from Ancient Greek βήρυλλος (bḗrullos, “beryl”). By surface analysis, French brill(er) + -i- + -ant.

Synonyms

glittering shining excellent distinctive striking superb exceptional glorious magnificent marvellous marvelous splendid wonderful brainy ingenious

Related words

beryl beryllium brilliantine

Derived words

brilliance brilliancy brilliant green brilliantly brilliantness brilliant rummynose tetra brillo overbrilliant superbrilliant ultrabrilliant unbrilliant trilliant
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