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Scintillating vs Brilliant - What's the difference?

scintillating | brilliant |

As adjectives the difference between scintillating and brilliant

is that scintillating is that scintillates with brief flashes of light; sparkling while brilliant is shining brightly.

As a verb scintillating

is present participle of lang=en.

As a noun brilliant is

a finely cut gemstone, especially a diamond, having many facets.

scintillating

English

Verb

(head)
  • Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • That scintillates with brief flashes of light; sparkling.
  • * 1994 , (Edward St Aubyn), Bad News , Picador 2006, p. 147:
  • On the scintillating water yellow and blue boats bobbed up and down.
  • * 2012 , (The Economist), 13 Oct 2012, Obituary: Nguyen Chi Thien , citing (Nguyen Chi Thien)
  • They sank me into the ocean / Wishing me to remain in the depths. / I became a deep sea diver / And came up covered with scintillating pearls.
  • Brilliantly or impressively clever, exciting, amusing or witty.
  • * 1864 , (Edgar Allen Poe),
  • Her sketches and tales may be said to be cleverly written. They are lively, easy, conventional, scintillating with a species of sarcastic wit, which might be termed good were it in any respect original.
  • *
  • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=8 , passage=The humor of my proposition appealed more strongly to Miss Trevor than I had looked for, and from that time forward she became her old self again;
  • * {{quote-news, year=2011, date=January 29, author=Ian Hughes, work=BBC
  • , title= Southampton 1-2 Man Utd , passage=The hosts maintained their discipline and shape, even threatening to grab a second goal on the break - left-back Dan Harding made a scintillating run, skipping past a few challenges before prodding a right-footed shot that did not match his build-up. }}

    brilliant

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Shining brightly.
  • the brilliant lights along the promenade
  • (of a colour) Both bright and saturated.
  • butterflies with brilliant blue wings
  • (of a voice or sound) having a sharp, clear tone
  • Of surpassing excellence.
  • The actor's performance in the play was simply brilliant .
  • Magnificent or wonderful.
  • Highly intelligent.
  • She is a brilliant scientist.

    Synonyms

    * (shining brightly) glittering, shining * * * (surpassing excellence) excellent, distinctive, striking, superb (obsolete except in UK usage) * (magnificent or wonderful) exceptional, glorious, magnificent, marvellous/marvelous, splendid, wonderful (obsolete except in UK usage) * (highly intelligent) brainy, ingenious * See also

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A finely cut gemstone, especially a diamond, having many facets.
  • * Alexander Pope
  • This snuffbox — on the hinge see brilliants shine.
  • * 1891 , Arthur Conan Doyle, A Case of Identity
  • “And the ring?” I asked, glancing at a remarkable brilliant which sparkled upon his finger.
  • (printing) A small size of type.
  • A kind of cotton goods, figured on the weaving.