Meaning 1
With exceptional intelligence, skill, or success.
Reach for it when giving strong praise to how an action or performance was carried out
The understudy performed brilliantly after only one full rehearsal.
Meaning 2
With intense light or vivid color.
Reach for it when describing something that shines or appears with striking brightness
The restored tiles shone brilliantly beneath the skylight.
| Meaning 1 | Meaning 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| playful | ||
| everyday | ||
| warm |
| |
| professional | ||
| formal | ||
| literary |
|
playful
Fits when the effect is showy and overwhelming
Not when restrained excellence is the intended praise
warm
Fits when grace or emotional effect leads
Not when the achievement is smart rather than aesthetically pleasing
professional
Fits when technical command is what made the result strong
Not when creative surprise or emotional impact matters more
professional
Fits when a clever method produces the success
Not when performance skill rather than invention is praised
formal
Fits when accomplished quality deserves emphatic praise
Not when intelligence rather than execution is the special feature
work brilliantly
The simple latch can work brilliantly when kept clean.
perform brilliantly
The quartet continued to perform brilliantly despite the cramped stage.
shine brilliantly
Copper panels shine brilliantly after the morning rain.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Updated
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