brights: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Informal for headlights; slightly informal for people.
Quick answer
What does “brights” mean?
The plural form of 'bright', referring to high-beam headlights on a vehicle.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The plural form of 'bright', referring to high-beam headlights on a vehicle.
Can also refer to intelligent or clever people (informal, plural), or to bright colors or lights in certain contexts.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both use 'brights' for high-beam headlights. The term 'full beam' is a common British alternative to 'brights'.
Connotations
Neutral/technical for headlights. Slightly colloquial when referring to people.
Frequency
More frequent in American English for the headlight sense. In British English, 'full beam' or 'main beam' are equally or more common.
Grammar
How to Use “brights” in a Sentence
turn on the ~switch to ~put your ~ ondip your ~Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare.
Academic
Rare, except in technical automotive contexts.
Everyday
Common in driving contexts.
Technical
Used in automotive manuals and discussions.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “brights”
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “brights”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “brights”
- Using 'brights' as a singular noun (e.g., 'turn on the bright'). It is almost always plural.
- Confusing 'brights' (high beams) with 'headlights' (general term).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is informal or technical. In formal automotive writing, 'high-beam headlights' or 'main beam' (UK) is preferred.
No, 'brights' is almost exclusively used as a plural noun when referring to headlights. The singular 'bright' is not used in this sense.
British drivers commonly say 'full beam' or 'main beam'. 'Brights' is understood but is an Americanism.
Informally, it can refer to intelligent people (e.g., 'the brights in the class'), but this is less common and context-dependent. Its primary meaning is related to vehicle lights.
The plural form of 'bright', referring to high-beam headlights on a vehicle.
Brights: in British English it is pronounced /braɪts/, and in American English it is pronounced /braɪts/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
BRIGHTS are BRIGHT lights you use on dark roads.
Conceptual Metaphor
INTELLIGENCE IS LIGHT (for the 'clever people' sense).
Practice
Quiz
What does 'brights' most commonly refer to in everyday English?