bright

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Full of light; shining strongly.

   The room was bright and airy in the morning sun.

2. 2
   adj

   (of a colour) strong and easy to see.

   She was wearing a bright red dress.

3. 3
   adj

   Intelligent and quick to learn.

   He is a bright student who always asks good questions.

4. 4
   adj

   Cheerful and full of hope.

   She gave us a bright smile and a friendly wave.

Common collocations

• bright idea Adjective + noun

The adjective is from Middle English bright, from Old English beorht, from Proto-West Germanic *berht, from Proto-Germanic *berhtaz (“bright”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerHǵ- (“to shine, to gleam, whiten”). The noun is derived from Middle English bright (“brightness, brilliance; daylight; light”), from bright (adjective): see above. The English word is cognate with Albanian bardhë (“white”), Dutch brecht (in personal names), Icelandic bjartur (“bright”), Lithuanian brekšta (“to dawn”), Middle Irish brafad (“blink of an eye”), Norwegian bjart (“bright, clear, shining”), Persian بر…

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