bright and early
(Very) early in the morning.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“We need to leave bright and early tomorrow morning.”
“To beat the heavy holiday traffic, we decided to start our long road trip bright and early.”
“The hikers rose bright and early, eager to reach the mountain summit before the afternoon clouds obscured the view.”
From *bright*, in the sense of behaving in a cheerful or vivacious manner, and *early*. The construction conjoins the timing of one's arrival with the presumed excellence of one's spirits.
- 01
be a hundred years too early
To be so immature and unprepared as to have no hope of achieving an accomplishment.
- 02
bright lights
The glamour and glitz of a place, especially a big city.
- 03
bright line
A clear distinction in the context of a legal, moral, ethical, or analytical judgment.
- 04
bright side
A consoling aspect of a difficult situation.
- 05
bright spark
A person who is intelligent, clever or quick-witted.
- 06
bright young thing
One who is youthful, clever, eager, and high-spirited in manner and attractive in appearance.
- 07
call it an early night
To go to bed or cease one's activities earlier in the evening than usual.
- 08
Christmas come early
Something very delightful or fortunate that is happening or has happened, especially earlier than expected.
Last updated August 10, 2026