brilliant and splendid share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. brilliant means “of surpassing excellence”. splendid means “having great beauty and splendor”. brilliant is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈbɹɪljənt/
1.adj.of surpassing excellence
“a brilliant performance”
2.adj.having or marked by unusual and impressive intelligence
“our project needs brainy women”
3.adj.characterized by grandeur
“the brilliant court life at Versailles”
/ˈsplɛndɪd/
1.adj.having great beauty and splendor
“a glorious spring morning”
2.adj.very good; of the highest quality
“made an excellent speech”
3.adj.characterized by grandeur
“the brilliant court life at Versailles”
| brilliant | splendid | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɹɪljənt/ | /ˈsplɛndɪd/ |
| Said | BRI-lyuhnt | SPLEN-did |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 9 | 8 |
| Parts of speech | adjective | adjective |
| Senses | 6 | 3 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | superb | glorious, resplendent, splendiferous |
Full entry for brilliant · Full entry for splendid · More comparisons