brilliance

noun

ˈbril-yən(t)s How to pronounce brilliance (audio)
Definition of brilliancenext
1
as in brilliancy
the quality or state of having or giving off light the brilliance of the flash from the camera was so intense that I was blinded for a moment afterwards

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in majesty
impressiveness of beauty on a large scale the brilliance of the palace is really quite staggering

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of brilliance What Benton makes of it in time and space is its own quiet moment of brilliance. — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2026 That is the brilliance of this script written by Inarritu, his Birdman collaborators Alexander Dinelaris & Nicolás Giacobone, and Sabina Berman, with a story by Berman & Iñárritu and Jez Butterworth. — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2026 Star running back Bijan Robinson walked over, tapped Penix on his right knee and gave him advice that helped spearhead the Falcons’ offensive brilliance in a 35-14 win over the Packers on Thursday night at Lambeau Field. — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 25 Sep. 2026 Venus has been shining brightly in the evening sky all month, hitting peak brilliance on September 18. — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 24 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for brilliance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brilliance
  1. brilliancy
  2. majesty
  3. brightness
  4. glory
  5. lightness
  6. elegance
  7. magnificence
  8. nobility
Noun
  • Greatest brilliancy marks the sweet spot between the two, when Venus' apparent size and shrinking phase combine to give us the greatest apparent area of illuminated Venus in our sky.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The result is an incredible repository of vexations, bafflements, witticisms, and brilliancies.
    — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Definition of brilliancy
Noun
  • To walk deep into the mountain forests at the doorstep of the Rocky Mountains, is to encounter the fragrant majesty of century-old ponderosa pine trees famous for lining ski slopes, National Park trails and residential neighborhoods.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
  • From the charming courtyards and upscale fashion boutiques tucked behind Worth Avenue to the rugged majesty of Jupiter’s inlets, the region is a playground for the curious traveler.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of majesty
Noun
  • At the same time, the star’s brightness seemed to dim periodically, suggesting an orbiting planet.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The display’s brightness was more of an issue than its color coverage.
    — Michael Justin Allen Sexton, PC Magazine, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of brightness
Noun
  • There was Sinners, Coogler’s vampire movie that delivered $370 million in ticket sales and Academy Awards glory.
    — Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
  • But there will be no return to the glory days of the mid-20th century, when almost half of Americans routinely attended a church, synagogue or mosque, the same study concluded.
    — John Blake, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of glory
Noun
  • There is always some lightness, if only to counter the occasionally unbearable weight.
    — Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Bottega Veneta had a beautiful balance between craftsmanship, texture and lightness, with pieces that felt special without becoming overcomplicated.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of lightness
Noun
  • Capturing the whole of the set-up, a Mediterranean pile on the north-west coast of Cyprus, framing its splendid size, its weighty elegance, its thrilling solidity, is challenging.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Mosaku’s dress was formfitting and merged timeless elegance with a scintillating, sensual appeal by contemporary standards.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of elegance
Noun
  • Yedikule Fortress, a former prison and imperial treasury whose origins go back to the fourth-century Walls of Constantinople, is returning to its former magnificence as the result of a multi-stage restoration project.
    — Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The magnificence of the AI renaissance has blinded our society to its pernicious creep into the arts.
    — David Barber, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of magnificence
Noun
  • There’s a nobility in providing some fan service to help immerse Oasis devotees who could not afford the outrageous ticket prices to attend the tour.
    — Marshall Shaffer, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Working as a portraitist, she was commissioned by university scholars and local nobility in Bologna, the Italian city where she was born.
    — Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of nobility

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Cite this Entry

“Brilliance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brilliance. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on brilliance

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about brilliance

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