brilliant
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brilliant
Outstanding, excellent, or ingenious. Used to describe a performance, an idea, or a person's intelligence as exceptionally good.
Sie hatte eine brillante Idee, wie man das Problem lösen könnte.
She had a brilliant idea for how to solve the problem.
brilliant / sparkling
Strongly shining, sparkling, or bright. Often describes the quality of light, gemstones, or polished surfaces.
Der Diamantring funkelte in brillantem Licht.
The diamond ring sparkled in brilliant light.
The context makes the meaning clear: If 'brillant' (brilliant) refers to something abstract such as an idea, a performance, or a person, it means 'ingenious' or 'excellent.' If it refers to something physical such as a stone or light, it means 'sparkling.'
Der Redner hielt einen brillanten Vortrag über künstliche Intelligenz.
The speaker gave a brilliant lecture on artificial intelligence.
'Brillant' (brilliant) belongs to an elevated register. It is a strong, expressive word and is used less often than simpler adjectives such as 'sehr gut' (very good) or 'toll' (great).
Das war eine brillante Lösung für ein kompliziertes Problem.
That was a brilliant solution to a complicated problem.
In the meaning 'hervorragend' (outstanding), 'brillant' (brilliant) is often combined with abstract nouns. Typical examples are: 'eine brillante Idee' (a brilliant idea), 'ein brillanter Plan' (a brilliant plan), 'eine brillante Analyse' (a brilliant analysis), or 'ein brillanter Kopf' (a very intelligent person).
Die Detektivin löste den Fall mit einer brillanten Analyse der Hinweise.
The detective solved the case with a brilliant analysis of the clues.
In the meaning 'funkelnd' (sparkling), 'brillant' (brilliant/sparkling) often describes the effect of light. Common combinations are: 'brillantes Licht' (brilliant light), 'brillanter Glanz' (brilliant shine), 'brillante Farben' (brilliant colors), or 'ein brillanter Stern' (a brilliant star).
Das Feuerwerk malte brillante Farben an den Nachthimmel.
The fireworks painted brilliant colors across the night sky.
shiny / excellent
Both words can praise an exceptionally good performance. Glänzend emphasizes very good success or a convincing result. Brillant places more emphasis on intellectual quality, an unusually good idea, or an outstanding analysis; for this reason, brillant is the more marked choice.
Ihre Analyse war brillant, weil sie das schwierige Problem einfach erklärte.
Her analysis was brilliant because it explained the difficult problem simply.
Ihre Präsentation war glänzend und kam beim Publikum sehr gut an.
Her presentation was excellent and was very well received by the audience.
