Meanings
plural brightnesses · alternative brightnesse
- uncountableusuallyThe quality of being bright.
1 more example
Here, in the transept and choir, where the service was being held, one was conscious every moment of an increasing brightness; colours glowing vividly beneath the circular chandeliers, and the rows of small lights on the choristers' desks flashed and sparkled in front of the boys' faces, deep linen collars, and red neckbands.
1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter V, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC - uncountableusuallyThe perceived luminance of an object.
- figurativelyidiomaticuncountableusuallyIntelligence, cleverness.
We have a brightness that demonstrates both our utility and our limitations. One learns from the experiences of others and then adds to them, accumulating knowledge. The chain is still going strong.
2023 March 21, “Vicki Wright-Hamilton: Having a Proven Track Record of Impacting Lives and Elevating Organisations”, in Chief Navigators
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe location of a visual perception along a continuum from black to white
nounintelligence as manifested in being quick and witty
nounthe quality of being luminous; emitting or reflecting light
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-West Germanic*berhtnassī
- Old Englishbeorhtnes“brightness, splendor”
- Middle Englishbryghtnes
- Englishbrightness
From Middle English bryghtnes, brightnesse, from Old English beorhtnes (“brightness, splendor”), from Proto-West Germanic *berhtnassī, equivalent to bright + -ness. Cognate with Old High German berahtnessī, berahtnessi (“brightness”).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek γάνος, λαμπρότης
- γάνος (gános)the quality of being bright
- λαμπρότης (lamprótēs)the quality of being bright
Arabic سُطُوع
- سُطُوع (suṭūʕ)the quality of being bright
Bengali রৌশনী
- রৌশনী (rōuśoni)the quality of being bright
Bulgarian блясък, я́ркост
- блясък (bljasăk)the quality of being bright
- я́ркост (járkost)perception elicited by the luminance of an object
Chinese Mandarin 明亮
- 明亮 (míngliàng)the quality of being bright
Czech jas, jasnost
- jasthe quality of being bright
- jasnostthe quality of being bright
- třpytthe quality of being bright
Dutch glans, helderheid
- glansthe quality of being bright
- helderheidthe quality of being bright
Esperanto heldenso, helodenso
- heldensothe quality of being bright
- helodensothe quality of being bright
Finnish hohto, kirkkaus
- hohtothe quality of being bright
- kirkkausthe quality of being bright
- loistothe quality of being bright
- välkethe quality of being bright
- älykkyysintelligence, cleverness
French brillance, luminosité
- brillancethe quality of being bright
- luminositéperception elicited by the luminance of an object
- intelligenceintelligence, cleverness
German Funkeln, Glanz
- Funkelnthe quality of being bright
- Glanzthe quality of being bright
- Helligkeitthe quality of being bright
- Strahlenthe quality of being bright
- Helligkeitperception elicited by the luminance of an object
- Aufgewecktheitintelligence, cleverness
Greek φωτεινότητα, λάμψη
- φωτεινότητα (foteinótita)the quality of being bright
- λάμψη (lámpsi)perception elicited by the luminance of an object
- εξυπνάδα (exypnáda)intelligence, cleverness
Hebrew בהירות, תבונה
- בהירות (behirut)the quality of being bright
- תבונהintelligence, cleverness
- אינטלגנציהintelligence, cleverness
Hindi चमक
- चमक (camak)the quality of being bright
Hungarian fényesség
- fényességthe quality of being bright
Irish gile, gléine
- gilethe quality of being bright
- gléinethe quality of being bright
- lonrachtthe quality of being bright
- spéiriúlachtthe quality of being bright
- gileperception elicited by the luminance of an object
- gléineperception elicited by the luminance of an object
Japanese 明るさ
- 明るさ (akarusa)the quality of being bright
Latin candor
- candorthe quality of being bright
Latvian spilgtums, spožums
- spilgtumsperception elicited by the luminance of an object
- spožumsperception elicited by the luminance of an object
Norwegian glans, klarhet
- glansthe quality of being bright
- klarhetthe quality of being bright
- lyshetthe quality of being bright
- lysstyrkethe quality of being bright
Persian درخشندگی
- درخشندگی (deraxšandegi)the quality of being bright
Polish jasność
- jasnośćthe quality of being bright
Portuguese brilho, claridade
- brilhothe quality of being bright
- claridadethe quality of being bright
- clarezathe quality of being bright
Romanian splendoare, strălucire
- splendoarethe quality of being bright
- strălucirethe quality of being bright
Russian блеск, я́ркость
- блеск (blesk)the quality of being bright
- я́ркость (járkostʹ)the quality of being bright
- вспы́шка (vspýška)the quality of being bright
- я́ркость (járkostʹ)perception elicited by the luminance of an object
- смышлёность (smyšljónostʹ)intelligence, cleverness
- ум (um)intelligence, cleverness
Spanish brillo
- brillothe quality of being bright
Swedish ljusstyrka
- ljusstyrkathe quality of being bright
Tagalog liwanag, liwanag
- liwanagthe quality of being bright
- liwanagperception elicited by the luminance of an object
Thai ความสว่าง
- ความสว่าง (kwaam-sà-wàang)the quality of being bright
Turkish parlaklık
- parlaklıkthe quality of being bright
Ukrainian яскра́вість
- яскра́вість (jaskrávistʹ)the quality of being bright
Urdu چمک
- چمک (camak)the quality of being bright
Welsh lleu, lleu
- lleuthe quality of being bright
- lleuperception elicited by the luminance of an object
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with brightness
All rhymes →Cite this entry
brightness. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/brightness
“brightness.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/brightness. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “brightness,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/brightness.
Source: brightness on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.