glisten

1 of 2

verb

glis·​ten ˈgli-sᵊn 

glistened; glistening ˈgli-sᵊn-iŋ 

intransitive verb

: to give off a sparkling or lustrous reflection of or as if of a moist or polished surface

glisten

2 of 2

noun

: glitter, sparkle

Synonyms

Verb

• coruscate
• flame
• flash
• glance
• gleam
• glimmer
• glint
• glister
• glitter
• luster
• lustre
• scintillate
• shimmer
• spangle
• sparkle
• twinkle
• wink
• winkle

Choose the Right Synonym for glisten

flash, gleam, glint, sparkle, glitter, glisten, glimmer, shimmer mean to send forth light.

flash implies a sudden outburst of bright light.

lightning flashed

gleam suggests a steady light seen through an obscuring medium or against a dark background.

lights gleamed in the valley

glint implies a cold glancing light.

glinting steel

sparkle suggests innumerable moving points of bright light.

the sparkling waters

glitter connotes a brilliant sparkling or gleaming.

glittering diamonds

glisten applies to the soft sparkle from a wet or oily surface.

glistening wet sidewalk

glimmer suggests a faint or wavering gleam.

a distant glimmering light

shimmer means shining with a wavering light.

a shimmering satin dress

Examples of glisten in a Sentence

Verb

Rain made the streets glisten.

The streets glistened in the rain.

Her eyes glistened with tears.

a long beach of glistening sand

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

As supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio danced in the shallow end of a sleek infinity pool, fashion designer Prabal Gurung stared out at the lush mangroves, swaying palms, and the glistening Caribbean as the sun dipped into the horizon. —Dobrina Zhekova, Robb Report, 21 May 2024

Just as red-leather booths and dark oak paneling trigger the Pavlovian expectation of a frigid martini and a glistening rib-eye, intimate counters from Omaha to Austin to Chicago to Denver promise a multicourse procession of jewel-like fish flown overnight from Japan. —Brett Anderson, New York Times, 21 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English glistnen, from Old English glisnian; akin to Old English glisian to glitter, geolu yellow — more at yellow

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1840, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

glisten

verb

glis·​ten

ˈglis-ᵊn

glistened; glistening

ˈglis-niŋ,

-ᵊn-iŋ

: to shine by reflection with a soft luster or sparkle

glisten noun