brightly

B3R1I1G2H4T1L1Y4
/ˈbɹaɪtli/

adverb

In a bright manner.

“The sun was shining brightly, making me squint.”

Less commonScrabble 17

Meanings

adverbbrightly (comparative brightlier or more brightly, superlative brightliest or most brightly)

comparative brightlier · comparative more brightly · superlative brightliest · superlative most brightly

  1. In a bright manner.

    The sun was shining brightly, making me squint.

    3 more examples

    The visitors started brightly and had an early chance when Valencia's experienced captain David Albeda gifted the ball to Fernando Torres, but the striker was caught by defender Adil Rami as he threatened to shoot.

    2011 September 28, Jon Smith, “Valencia 1 - 1 Chelsea”, in BBC Sport

    She looked brightly at Grandmamma, who nodded and said, 'Yes, it's yours now.'

    1956 [1880], Johanna Spyri, Heidi, translation of original by Eileen Hall, page 106

    Now he rushed to the platform edge carrying a full fire bucket, in a forlorn attempt to douse the flames as the now brightly burning wagon rolled past.

    2022 January 12, Benedict le Vay, “The heroes of Soham...”, in RAIL, number 948, page 42

Synonyms & antonyms

adverbwith brightness

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Old Englishbeorhtlice
  2. Middle Englishbrightliche
  3. Englishbrightly

From Middle English brightliche, from Old English beorhtlice, equivalent to bright + -ly.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian ярко
  • ярко (jarko)in a bright manner
Czech jasně
  • jasněin a bright manner
Esperanto hele
  • helein a bright manner
Finnish kirkkaasti
  • kirkkaastiin a bright manner
French clairement, précisément
  • clairementin a bright manner
  • précisémentin a bright manner
Hungarian fényesen
  • fényesenin a bright manner
Italian vivacemente, brillantemente
  • vivacementein a bright manner
  • brillantementein a bright manner
Russian я́рко
  • я́рко (járko)in a bright manner
Thai จรัส
  • จรัส (jà-ràt)in a bright manner

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with brightly

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

brightly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/brightly

MLA

“brightly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/brightly. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “brightly,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/brightly.

Source: brightly on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.