brilliant!

/ˈbrɪl.jənt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈbrɪl.jənt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈbril-yənt How to pronounce brilliant (audio)/ (ame, mw)

brilliant! — adjective

  • brilliant!positive
  • more brilliant!comparative
  • most brilliant!superlative

1. extremely clever, or able to handle difficult work with exceptional skill

1.形容詞B2
釋義

extremely clever, or able to handle difficult work with exceptional skill

例句

After one short look, Bao produced a brilliant answer to the puzzle.

a brilliant + answer / solution

Ritu is brilliant at spotting tiny mistakes in legal contracts.

be brilliant at + -ing

同義詞
  • gifted

    suggests natural ability rather than a single clever result

  • talented

    often used for skill in art, sport, or practical work

  • ingenious

    focuses more on inventive solutions than on general intelligence

反義詞
  • slow

    suggests difficulty understanding things quickly

  • unskilled

    focuses on lack of ability rather than lack of intelligence

文法句型

be brilliant at + -ing

a brilliant + person/idea/solution

用法筆記

Often used before nouns like idea, student, or scientist, and after at when praising someone's skill in one area.

常見錯誤

Our new intern is bright enough at quantum physics.
Our new intern is brilliant at quantum physics.
💡bright can mean intelligent, but brilliant is much stronger praise for outstanding ability.

2. giving off strong light, or showing a very vivid and striking colour

2.形容詞B2
釋義

giving off strong light, or showing a very vivid and striking colour

例句

Brilliant white lamps lit the bridge across the dark river.

brilliant + light / colour noun

At noon, the sea turned brilliant blue beside the limestone cliffs.

同義詞
  • bright

    the broad everyday word for plenty of light

  • radiant

    more literary and often suggests warm, glowing light

  • vivid

    fits strong colour more than actual light

反義詞
  • dim

    describes weak light

  • dull

    describes colour or surfaces that do not shine

文法句型

brilliant + colour/light noun

用法筆記

Most often describes light, colour, jewels, or surfaces that catch the light strongly. For a very clever person, use sense 1 instead.

常見錯誤

The room was brilliant because the windows were big.
The room was bright because the windows were big.
💡brilliant usually suggests a striking shine or colour, not ordinary everyday light.

3. extremely good and worth strong praise

3.形容詞B1
釋義

extremely good and worth strong praise

例句

Yasmin gave a brilliant talk that kept the room laughing.

a brilliant + performance / talk

The café serves a brilliant breakfast for less than ten dollars.

同義詞
  • excellent

    neutral and widely used for high quality

  • fantastic

    more emotional and slightly more informal

  • superb

    more formal and often used in reviews

反義詞
  • terrible

    strong opposite for very bad quality

  • poor

    a milder opposite for low quality

文法句型

a brilliant + event/meal/performance

Brilliant! as an exclamation

用法筆記

Especially common in British English for enthusiastic approval of ideas, meals, performances, or whole experiences. It can also stand alone as the exclamation Brilliant!.

常見錯誤

The printer is brilliant now.
The printer works properly now.
💡brilliant praises quality strongly; it is not a general word for something that is simply functioning again.

brilliant! — noun