Brilliant vs. Great: What's the Difference?
Edited by Harlon Moss || By Janet White || Published on November 6, 2023
Brilliant refers to intense brightness or exceptional clarity and intelligence, while Great denotes extensive magnitude, amount, or degree.
Key Differences
"Brilliant" often refers to something that shines brightly, illuminates with exceptional clarity, or exhibits intellectual prowess. It is frequently used to describe dazzling lights, sparkling gems, or sharp and incisive intellects. Conversely, "Great" is a broad adjective used to denote something extensive in amount, degree, or size, such as great distance, great happiness, or great power. The essence of brilliance usually entails a luminous glow or exceptional mental acuity, while greatness encompasses magnitude or superior quality.
The term "brilliant" conveys a sense of radiance or extraordinary luminosity, often associated with light or color. It can describe a diamond's luminous sparkle or an idea's outstanding clarity and innovativeness. In comparison, "great" may indicate substantial magnitude or superior quality, expressing admiration for achievements, skills, or attributes. While brilliant leans more towards radiance and intellect, great implies volume, quality, and admiration, with a wide-ranging application.
For instance, a brilliant mind is one that has exceptional intelligence and cognitive abilities, characterized by swift and sharp reasoning. Here, brilliance stands for the pinnacle of intellectual prowess. In contrast, a great person may be one who has impacted many lives positively, showing kindness, leadership, or moral virtue. Greatness, in this sense, is about influence, moral standing, and the depth of one's positive impact on others.
A brilliant display, often imbued with vivid and radiant colors, attracts attention due to its intense luminosity and vibrancy. It represents a visually stunning spectacle of light and color. However, a great achievement is recognized for its substantial impact, significant effort, and outstanding results. It denotes accomplishments that are noteworthy for their scale and impact, reflecting the extensive reach of greatness.
In summary, "brilliant" predominantly emphasizes luminosity, intellectual sharpness, and clarity, often signifying a standout quality in terms of brightness or intellect. "Great," on the other hand, is versatile, representing high degree, large amount, or superior quality in various contexts, highlighting magnitude, excellence, or impact.
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Comparison Chart
Connotation
Exceptional clarity or intelligence.
Extensive magnitude or superior quality.
Usage
Often related to light or intellect.
Broadly used in various contexts.
Application
More specific, relating to luminosity or sharpness.
More general, encompassing various qualities.
Degree of Praise
High, often in intellect or appearance.
High, can refer to size, quality, amount, etc.
Associated Contexts
Typically, light, color, and intellect.
Virtually any context from size to moral virtue.
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Brilliant and Great Definitions
Brilliant
Brilliant refers to shining brightly with a lot of light.
The brilliant sun made it hard to see.
Great
Great refers to something of an extent, amount, or intensity considerably above average.
He has a great understanding of the subject.
Brilliant
Brilliant can describe something dazzling or striking.
The fireworks created a brilliant display in the sky.
Great
Great can denote someone of ability, quality, or eminence considerably above average.
Alexander the Great was a renowned ruler.
Brilliant
Full of light; shining.
Great
Great is used to emphasize the degree of something.
There is a great need for change.
Brilliant
Relating to or being a hue that has a combination of high lightness and strong saturation.
Great
Great can also express admiration or approval.
What a great idea!
Brilliant
Sharp and clear in tone
A recording with brilliant sound.
Great
Great signifies something much higher than usual in degree or intensity.
There was a great variety of options.
Brilliant
Glorious; magnificent
The brilliant court life at Versailles.
Great
Very large in size, extent, or intensity
A great pile of rubble.
A great storm.
Brilliant
Superb; wonderful
The soloist gave a brilliant performance.
Great
Of a larger size than other, similar forms
The great anteater.
Brilliant
Having or showing unusual and impressive intelligence
A brilliant mind.
A brilliant solution to the problem.
Great
Large in quantity or number
A great throng awaited us.
Brilliant
A precious gem, especially a diamond, finely cut in any of various forms with numerous facets.
Great
Extensive in time or distance
A great delay.
A great way off.
Brilliant
Shining brightly.
The brilliant lights along the promenade
Great
Remarkable or outstanding in magnitude, degree, or extent
A great crisis.
Great anticipation.
Brilliant
(of a colour) Both bright and saturated.
Butterflies with brilliant blue wings
Great
Of outstanding significance or importance
A great work of art.
Brilliant
(of a voice or sound) Having a sharp, clear tone
Great
Chief or principal
The great house on the estate.
Brilliant
(British) Of surpassing excellence.
The actor's performance in the play was simply brilliant.
Great
Superior in quality or character; noble
A great man who dedicated himself to helping others.
Brilliant
(British) Magnificent or wonderful.
Great
Powerful; influential
One of the great nations of the West.
Brilliant
Highly intelligent.
She is a brilliant scientist.
Great
Eminent; distinguished
A great leader.
Brilliant
A finely cut gemstone, especially a diamond, cut in a particular form with numerous facets so as to maximize light return through the top (called "table") of the stone.
Great
Very good; first-rate
We had a great time at the dance.
Brilliant
The size of type between excelsior and diamond, standardized as 4-point.
Great
Very skillful
She is great at algebra.
Brilliant
Most hummingbird species of the genus Heliodoxa.
Great
Enthusiastic
A great lover of music.
Brilliant
A kind of cotton goods, figured on the weaving.
Great
Being one generation removed from the relative specified. Often used in combination
A great-granddaughter.
Brilliant
Sparkling with luster; glittering; very bright; as, a brilliant star.
Great
(Archaic) Pregnant.
Brilliant
Distinguished by qualities which excite admiration; splendid; shining; as, brilliant talents.
Washington was more solicitous to avoid fatal mistakes than to perform brilliant exploits.
Great
Pl. greats or great One that is great
A composer considered among the greats.
Brilliant
Exceedingly intelligent, or of distinguished accomplishment in a field; - as, a brilliant chemist.
Great
A division of most pipe organs, usually containing the most powerful ranks of pipes.
Brilliant
A diamond or other gem of the finest cut, formed into faces and facets, so as to reflect and refract the light, by which it is rendered more brilliant. It has at the middle, or top, a principal face, called the table, which is surrounded by a number of sloping facets forming a bizet; below, it has a small face or collet, parallel to the table, connected with the girdle by a pavilion of elongated facets. It is thus distinguished from the rose diamond, which is entirely covered with facets on the surface, and is flat below.
This snuffbox - on the hinge see brilliants shine.
Great
A similar division of other organs.
Brilliant
The smallest size of type used in England printing.
Great
Very well
Got along great with the teacher.
Brilliant
A kind of cotton goods, figured on the weaving.
Great
Used as an intensive with certain adjectives
A great big kiss.
Brilliant
Of surpassing excellence;
A brilliant performance
A superb actor
Great
(augmentative) Large, senior high-ranking, intense, extreme, or exceptional
Brilliant
Having or marked by unusual and impressive intelligence;
Some men dislike brainy women
A brilliant mind
A brilliant solution to the problem
Great
Relatively large in scale, size, extent, number (i.e. having many parts or members) or duration (i.e. relatively long); very big.
A great storm is approaching our shores.
A great assembly
A great wait
Brilliant
Characterized by or attended with brilliance or grandeur;
The brilliant court life at Versailles
A glorious work of art
Magnificent cathedrals
The splendid coronation ceremony
Great
Title referring to an important leader.
Alexander the Great
Brilliant
Having striking color;
Bright greens
Brilliant tapestries
A bird with vivid plumage
Great
Of larger size or more importance than others of its kind.
The great auk
Brilliant
Full of light; shining intensely;
A brilliant star
Brilliant chandeliers
Great
(informal) Very good; excellent; wonderful; fantastic.
Dinner was great.
Brilliant
Clear and sharp and ringing;
The bright sound of the trumpet section
The brilliant sound of the trumpets
Great
Intensifying a word or expression, used in mild oaths.
A dirty great smack in the face
Great Scott!
Brilliant
Brilliant means having or showing exceptional intelligence.
She is brilliant in mathematics.
Great
(qualifying nouns of family relationship) Involving more generations than the qualified word implies — as many extra generations as repetitions of the word great (from 1510s). [see Derived terms]
Great-grandfather, great-great-grandfather, great-great-great-grandfather
Brilliant
Brilliant also refers to exceptional clarity of color.
The gemstone had a brilliant blue hue.
Great
Pregnant; large with young; full of.
Great with child
Great with hope
Brilliant
Brilliant denotes outstanding or extraordinary.
That was a brilliant performance!
Great
Intimate; familiar.
Great
Extreme or more than usual.
Great worry
Great
Of significant importance or consequence; important.
A great decision
Great
(applied to actions, thoughts and feelings) Arising from or possessing idealism; admirable; superior; commanding; heroic; illustrious; eminent.
A great deed
A great nature
A great history
Great
Impressive or striking.
A great show of wealth
Great
Much in use; favoured.
Poetry was a great convention of the Romantic era.
Great
(applied to persons) Endowed with extraordinary powers; of exceptional talents or achievements; uncommonly gifted; able to accomplish vast results; remarkable; strong; powerful; mighty; noble.
A great hero, scholar, genius, philosopher, writer etc.
Great
Doing or exemplifying (a characteristic or pursuit) on a large scale; active or enthusiastic.
What a great buffoon!
He's not a great one for reading.
A great walker
Great
(often followed by 'at') Skilful or adroit.
A great carpenter
You are great at singing.
Great
Expression of gladness and content about something.
Great! Thanks for the wonderful work.
Great
Sarcastic inversion thereof.
Oh, great! I just dumped all 500 sheets of the manuscript all over and now I have to put them back in order.
Great
A person of major significance, accomplishment or acclaim.
Newton and Einstein are two of the greats of the history of science.
Great
(music) The main division in a pipe organ, usually the loudest division.
Great
(in combinations such as "two-greats", "three-greats" etc.) An instance of the word "great" signifying an additional generation in phrases expressing family relationships.
My three-greats grandmother.
Great
(informal) Very well in a very satisfactory manner.
Those mechanical colored pencils work great because they don't have to be sharpened.
Great
Large in space; of much size; big; immense; enormous; expanded; - opposed to small and little; as, a great house, ship, farm, plain, distance, length.
Great
Large in number; numerous; as, a great company, multitude, series, etc.
Great
Long continued; lengthened in duration; prolonged in time; as, a great while; a great interval.
Great
Superior; admirable; commanding; - applied to thoughts, actions, and feelings.
Great
Endowed with extraordinary powers; uncommonly gifted; able to accomplish vast results; strong; powerful; mighty; noble; as, a great hero, scholar, genius, philosopher, etc.
Great
Holding a chief position; elevated: lofty: eminent; distinguished; foremost; principal; as, great men; the great seal; the great marshal, etc.
He doth object I am too great of birth.
Great
Entitled to earnest consideration; weighty; important; as, a great argument, truth, or principle.
Great
Pregnant; big (with young).
The ewes great with young.
Great
More than ordinary in degree; very considerable in degree; as, to use great caution; to be in great pain.
We have allGreat cause to give great thanks.
Great
Older, younger, or more remote, by single generation; - often used before grand to indicate one degree more remote in the direct line of descent; as, great-grandfather (a grandfather's or a grandmother's father), great-grandson, etc.
Great
The whole; the gross; as, a contract to build a ship by the great.
Great
Relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind;
A great juicy steak
A great multitude
The great auk
A great old oak
A great ocean liner
A great delay
Great
More than usual;
Great expectations
Great worry
Great
(used of persons) standing above others in character or attainment or reputation;
Our distinguished professor
An eminent scholar
A great statesman
Great
Of major significance or importance;
A great work of art
Einstein was one of the outstanding figures of the 20th century
Great
Remarkable or out of the ordinary in degree or magnitude or effect;
A great crisis
Had a great stake in the outcome
Great
Very good;
He did a bully job
A neat sports car
Had a great time at the party
You look simply smashing
Great
Uppercase;
Capital A
Great A
Many medieval manuscripts are in majuscule script
Great
Marked by active interest and enthusiasm;
An avid sports fan
A great walker
An eager beaver
Great
In an advanced stage of pregnancy;
Was big with child
Was great with child
FAQs
Does brilliant only refer to intelligence?
No, brilliant can also refer to intense brightness, exceptional clarity, and outstanding quality.
Can great describe magnitude or size?
Yes, great is often used to denote extensive magnitude, amount, or degree.
Can brilliant describe a spectacle of light and color?
Yes, brilliant often describes visually striking displays of light and color.
Can an idea be brilliant?
Yes, ideas can be brilliant if they show exceptional clarity or inventiveness.
Is brilliant used to describe color?
Yes, brilliant can refer to exceptional clarity and vividness of color.
Can great be used to describe average intensity or degree?
No, great typically denotes a high level of intensity or degree.
Does brilliant have a connotation of sharpness?
Yes, brilliant often connotes sharpness, especially in intellectual contexts.
Can great be used to describe intelligence?
Yes, great can be used to describe above-average intelligence, among other things.
Does a brilliant person always have high intellectual abilities?
Typically, but brilliant can also describe other standout qualities.
Can great represent moral virtue?
Yes, great can denote superior moral virtue and nobility.
Is great synonymous with large?
It can be, as great often denotes considerable size or amount.
Can a brilliant display be unnoticeable?
Typically no, as brilliant often means dazzling or striking.
Can something be brilliant without shining brightly?
Yes, brilliant can also refer to exceptional quality or intelligence, not just bright shining.
Can something be great without being above average in quality?
Typically, great implies a level of quality, ability, or eminence considerably above average.
Is greatness measurable?
It can be subjective, depending on the context, but some aspects of greatness may be measurable.
About Author
Written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
Edited by
Harlon MossHarlon is a seasoned quality moderator and accomplished content writer for Difference Wiki. An alumnus of the prestigious University of California, he earned his degree in Computer Science. Leveraging his academic background, Harlon brings a meticulous and informed perspective to his work, ensuring content accuracy and excellence.
