1
a
: a transient appearance of subdued or partly obscured light
the gleam of dawn in the east
b(1)
: a small bright light
the gleam of a match
(2)
: glint
a gleam in his eyes
2
: a brief or faint appearance
a gleam of hope
gleamed; gleaming; gleams
1
: to shine with or as if with subdued steady light or moderate brightness
2
: to appear briefly or faintly
a light gleamed in the distance
: to cause to gleam
Synonyms
Examples of gleam in a Sentence
Noun
He saw the gleam of a flashlight in the distance.
the rich gleam of the polished wood
Verb
The sun gleamed on the water.
His eyes were gleaming with delight.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jenny Berg, Vogue, 25 Mar. 2024
Image Image This scale of this magnificent transformation from grime to gleam is what inspired the photographer Christopher Payne to spend hundreds of hours shuttling between Coney Island and Upper Manhattan since January 2020, to vividly capture the breadth of the work.
—David Waldstein, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024
The straightened surface of my hair has the glassy gleam that Instagram girlies dream of.
—Jessica Cruel, Allure, 20 Feb. 2024
The ad had the milquetoast gleam characteristic of media generated by AI, though beyond aesthetics there’s no indication that that’s the case.
—Amanda Mull, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2024
But that early gleam of promise gradually fades as Criminal Record settles into its rut.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Jan. 2024
No’s warm, welcoming voice, emotional clarity and eloquent songwriting skills gleam.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 16 Jan. 2024
As the men prepare to board the sub, Salvatore assembles them for a pep talk, and his look is striking: the double-breasted brown leather coat, the coiffed hair and thick goatee, the gleam of burning-eyed fatalism.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 30 Aug. 2023
Find it on Amazon This Satin Set To Feel Sophisticated
Glide and gleam with this Satin Set that is the perfect choice for all of your fun plans this season.
—Kathy Barr, Rolling Stone, 10 Nov. 2023
Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2024
Thousands of apartments and condominiums were added to the financial district — followed by bars, restaurants and stores that thrived on the residents and office workers whose bosses took advantage of comparatively low rents in gleaming towers that were being upgraded by their owners.
—Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
The high-low hem elegantly reveals a pair of gleaming gold or silver heels.
—Jamie Allison Sanders, Peoplemag, 6 Apr. 2024
Meanwhile, the spine of the book reveals a flash of silver foil lettering, the pages gleam with silver gilt edges.
—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 4 Apr. 2024
But Lempicka has yet to become a household name and her historical reputation remains mixed, the paintings too gleaming, too gorgeous to invite serious appraisal.
—Alexis Soloski, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2024
But the gleaming white marble bar—fittingly featuring ocean-gray veining—is a wonderful place to post up for the evening, as is the dining rail that overlooks 10th Street below.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 26 Mar. 2024
Before the 2015 nuclear deal, Fordow’s gleaming production halls hummed with the sound of about 3,000 centrifuges.
—Joby Warrick, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
The yacht underwent its dramatic conversion in a facility in Abu Dhabi’s main port, emerging as a gleaming superyacht in 2011, with one of the most interesting profiles on the water.
—Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2024
Noun
From restoring elasticity to smoothing skin and nourishing it with essential vitamins and minerals, body oil can refresh the skin from head to toe—and deliver a gleam, to boot.
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 25 Mar. 2024
Image Image This scale of this magnificent transformation from grime to gleam is what inspired the photographer Christopher Payne to spend hundreds of hours shuttling between Coney Island and Upper Manhattan since January 2020, to vividly capture the breadth of the work.
—David Waldstein, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024
The straightened surface of my hair has the glassy gleam that Instagram girlies dream of.
—Jessica Cruel, Allure, 20 Feb. 2024
The ad had the milquetoast gleam characteristic of media generated by AI, though beyond aesthetics there’s no indication that that’s the case.
—Amanda Mull, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2024
But that early gleam of promise gradually fades as Criminal Record settles into its rut.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Jan. 2024
No’s warm, welcoming voice, emotional clarity and eloquent songwriting skills gleam.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 16 Jan. 2024
As the men prepare to board the sub, Salvatore assembles them for a pep talk, and his look is striking: the double-breasted brown leather coat, the coiffed hair and thick goatee, the gleam of burning-eyed fatalism.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 30 Aug. 2023
Find it on Amazon This Satin Set To Feel Sophisticated
Glide and gleam with this Satin Set that is the perfect choice for all of your fun plans this season.
—Kathy Barr, Rolling Stone, 10 Nov. 2023
Verb
The Ocean Club Casitas are the most popular option, evocative of the hillside villas in Greece — think gleaming white spaces, soaring ceilings, and floor-to-ceiling windows that flood the modern interiors in natural light.
—Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2024
Thousands of apartments and condominiums were added to the financial district — followed by bars, restaurants and stores that thrived on the residents and office workers whose bosses took advantage of comparatively low rents in gleaming towers that were being upgraded by their owners.
—Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
The high-low hem elegantly reveals a pair of gleaming gold or silver heels.
—Jamie Allison Sanders, Peoplemag, 6 Apr. 2024
Meanwhile, the spine of the book reveals a flash of silver foil lettering, the pages gleam with silver gilt edges.
—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 4 Apr. 2024
But Lempicka has yet to become a household name and her historical reputation remains mixed, the paintings too gleaming, too gorgeous to invite serious appraisal.
—Alexis Soloski, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2024
But the gleaming white marble bar—fittingly featuring ocean-gray veining—is a wonderful place to post up for the evening, as is the dining rail that overlooks 10th Street below.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 26 Mar. 2024
Before the 2015 nuclear deal, Fordow’s gleaming production halls hummed with the sound of about 3,000 centrifuges.
—Joby Warrick, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
The yacht underwent its dramatic conversion in a facility in Abu Dhabi’s main port, emerging as a gleaming superyacht in 2011, with one of the most interesting profiles on the water.
—Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gleam.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near gleam
Cite this Entry
“Gleam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gleam. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
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