Word
brill
US/ˈbɹɪɫ/
UK/bɹˈɪl/
Definition
adj. very good or wonderful. It is a short way of saying 'brilliant' and is used in casual conversation.
adj. excellent, impressive, or highly pleasing. A clipped form of 'brilliant' used in informal British English.
Examples
“That movie we saw last night was absolutely brill.”
“I had a brill time at the concert and can't wait to see them perform again.”
“While some critics found the play a bit simplistic, the general audience thought the lead actor's performance was brill and gave him a standing ovation.”
Examples
simple
“That movie we saw last night was absolutely brill.”
contextual
“I had a brill time at the concert and can't wait to see them perform again.”
complex
“While some critics found the play a bit simplistic, the general audience thought the lead actor's performance was brill and gave him a standing ovation.”
Usage
Typically used as a predicative adjective after linking verbs like 'be', 'look', or 'sound'.
Pitfall
He is a brill person.
He is a brilliant person.
While 'brill' is common in casual speech, it can sound overly childish or dated when used as an attributive adjective in writing; 'brilliant' is preferred.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/brill