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
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Recent Examples of brilliance
But then come the passages of cockeyed brilliance—such as this one, yoking Nicholas’s philosophical meditation on the nature of subjective perception to the 1960s sitcom Gilligan’s Island.
—
Scott Stossel, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2025
As the number one overall pick last year, Williams somewhat underperformed as a rookie, but some of that can be attributed to poor coaching, and the former Heisman Trophy winner showed flashes of brilliance at times.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
One moment of individual brilliance in the field can still turn a game but a consistent and concerted joint effort, with all 11 players pulling as one, is equally important to a side’s fortunes, if not more so.
—James Wallace, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
Golden State cut the deficit to four going into the fourth quarter behind Leite’s brilliance and energetic defense from Billings.
—Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brilliance
Scott Stossel, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2025
As the number one overall pick last year, Williams somewhat underperformed as a rookie, but some of that can be attributed to poor coaching, and the former Heisman Trophy winner showed flashes of brilliance at times.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
One moment of individual brilliance in the field can still turn a game but a consistent and concerted joint effort, with all 11 players pulling as one, is equally important to a side’s fortunes, if not more so.
—James Wallace, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
Golden State cut the deficit to four going into the fourth quarter behind Leite’s brilliance and energetic defense from Billings.
—Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brilliance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brilliance
Noun
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So, astronomers have come up with a compromise regarding the geometry of the sun's illumination angle on Venus' disk versus its distance from Earth to determine the time of Venus' greatest brilliancy.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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Family circles will have wrapped themselves in the holy pleasures of the great occasion, and everywhere the grand old holiday will have been introduced with all the majesty and brilliancy which clings around the hallowed name of Christmas.—
Michael Barnes,
Austin American-Statesman,
23 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Many fans have been paying tribute to Kirk by ordering his favorite drink at the coffee chain, a mint majesty tea with two honeys.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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Photographers interested in capturing the majesty of the night sky should read our roundup of the best cameras and lenses for astrophotography.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The punchy liquid stays put and works nicely as underpaint for a glow beneath base makeup, or for stand-alone brightness in multidimensional shades like Starlite (rose gold with shimmer) and Good Vibes (deep fuchsia with pearlescent particles).—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
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Both of the Pop projectors are rated to deliver 700 lumens of brightness, but the EF62 sports a 4K resolution while the EF61 is full HD.—
John Archer,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The 33-year-old’s mind and body had been through a lot, to say the least, on the Lionesses’ rollercoaster ride to European glory.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
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The club’s current plight is a far cry from the Alex Ferguson glory days when United won a record 13 Premier League titles and was a two-time Champions League winner.—
Patrick Snell,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Open-weave knitwear also had a strong showing, offering texture and lightness in equal measure.—
Lisa Lockwood,
Footwear News,
17 Sep. 2025
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Tubular steel for strength, plywood for lightness, glass to maximize daylight—these were engineering as much as design.—
Daniel Scheffler,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The appliques elevate the bag by adding a pop of texture and elegance.—
Gabriela Izquierdo,
Southern Living,
18 Sep. 2025
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His unique vision combined with the timeless elegance of Dior resonates with me personally.—
Joelle Diderich,
Footwear News,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Five different combined wavelengths show the true magnificence and diversity of phenomena at play in the Crab Nebula.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
12 Sep. 2025
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If the marathons of New York and London showcase splendour and establishment and magnificence and size and place, then the Great North Run offers something else; to complete it, to witness it, is to understand its pull.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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So there's a nobility in that, but also an ickiness.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Sep. 2025
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Sitting for a portrait was once reserved for the elite, with kings, queens, and nobility commissioning grand works to immortalize themselves and assert their authority.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brilliance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brilliance. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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