briller

to shine

verb bree-YAY Less Common

Also means

to excel, to stand out

Usage Note

Briller describes light shining (les étoiles brillent = 'the stars shine') and figuratively excelling at something (briller en maths = 'to shine at maths'). The ironic phrase briller par son absence means 'to be conspicuous by one's absence'. The adjective brillant means both 'shining' and 'brilliant'.

Examples

"Le soleil brille fort aujourd'hui."

Natural Translation

The sun is shining brightly today.

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