NYT Dictionary

BRILLIANT

/ˈbɹɪl.jənt/
AdjectiveNounVerbBRIL-liantbril-liant · 2 syllablesGrade 4

Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2019, 2020

Meaning

Shining brightly.

Etymology

Origin: Latin

Etymology tree Proto-Dravidian *weḷ Proto-Dravidian *ūr Proto-Dravidian *weḷ-ūr Proto-Indo-Iranian *i- Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Indo-Iranian *-kas Proto-Indo-Iranian *-ikas Sanskrit -इक (-ika) Prakrit -इय (-iya) Prakrit वेरुलिअ (vērulia)bor. Ancient Greek βήρυλλος (bḗrullos)bor. Latin bēryllusder. Italian brillarebor. French briller French brillantbor. English brilliant Borrowed from French brillant (late 17th century), present participle of the verb briller, from Italian brillare, possibly from Latin berillus, beryllus (“a beryl, gem, eyeglass”), from Ancient Greek βήρυλλος (bḗrullos, “beryl”). By surface analysis, French brill(er) + -i- + -ant.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

glitteringshiningexcellentdistinctivestrikingsuperbexceptionalgloriousmagnificentmarvellous

NYT Puzzle Appearances

No published puzzle dates on file for this word yet. It is part of the official NYT Spelling Bee word list for 2019, 2020.

Join the Spelling Bee Community

Get solving strategies, rare word lists, and puzzle tips in your inbox every week.