brilliant and superb share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. brilliant means “of surpassing excellence”. superb means “of surpassing excellence”. 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”
/sʊˈpɝb/
1.adj.of surpassing excellence
“a brilliant performance”
2.adj.surpassingly good
“a superb meal”
| brilliant | superb | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɹɪljənt/ | /sʊˈpɝb/ |
| Said | BRI-lyuhnt | suu-PURB |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 9 | 6 |
| Parts of speech | adjective | adjective |
| Senses | 6 | 2 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | superb | brilliant |
Full entry for brilliant · Full entry for superb · More comparisons