Definition of GLEAM

Choose the Right Synonym for gleam

Verb

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

Verb

gleam, sparkle, and glitter mean to send forth light. gleam is used when light shines through something else or is reflected or shines against a dark background. The lighthouse gleamed through the fog. sparkle is used for something that has several changing points of light. Water sparkled in the sunlight. glitter is used for a brilliant sparkling of light. The jewels glittered brightly.

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: Noun

What allows him to see the gleam in subjects that would strike others, on their face, as dull? — Kate Dailey, Vox, "Michael Lewis reads my mind," 5 June 2019 All the stories in this book are good, but some gleam with a special luster; they’ve been polished by time, and no one is meant to get hung up on the details. — Max Watman, WSJ, "Southern food and Southern Charm," 11 Apr. 2018 Similarly, the gleam of the polished nickel hardware is a nice contrast to rough-hewn flooring and antique furniture. — Ayn-monique Tetreault-rooney Klahre, Woman's Day, "What's Your Decorating Style?," 9 Nov. 2010 Consider New Years Eve your carte blanch for dialing the glam and gleam on your outfits all the way up. — Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, "6 Chic New Years Eve Outfit Ideas," 17 Dec. 2018 Just before Lima stepped into the limo, Ta dabbed on a brownish matte lip and a wash of illuminating highlighter to her décolletage—just the thing for catching the inevitable gleam of the camera flash. — Jenna Rennert, Vogue, "How Adriana Lima Got Ready for the amfAR Gala in Cannes," 18 May 2018 The album—one long and deeply satisfying piece, and three brief ones—gleams with new sonic delights, mostly drawn from the interplay of three accomplished and unconventional pianists: David Virelles, David Bryant and Luis Perdomo. — Larry Blumenfeld, WSJ, "‘Double Up, Plays Double Up Plus’ and ‘Dirt… and More Dirt’ Reviews," 22 May 2018 Those yellow jersey gleam as brightly as ever but in a modern age, Brazil's soccer has lost some of its twinkle. — Martin Rogers, USA TODAY, "Brazil is no longer the class of world soccer," 6 July 2018 And, once again, all three gel-to-powder shades (Iridescent Pink 003, Fine Gold 003, and Bronze Nectar 003) can be worn separately, or layered for a runway-ready gleam. — refinery29.com, "Pat McGrath Shares Her Runway Highlighting Technique," 13 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

How better to immortalize an offender than gleaming marble? — John Kass, chicagotribune.com, "Put coward Florida cop in prison, and who’s next? The social worker? The teacher? The politician?," 6 June 2019 Flying in on a Cessna plane and touching down on the property’s landing strip in the late morning, Mr. Hendricks admired the sun gleaming off a nearby red rock formation known as the Palisade. — Katherine Clarke, WSJ, "Discovery Channel Founder Lists Remote Colorado Ranch for $279 Million," 15 May 2019 Mounds of crystals gleam alongside books such as The Float Tank Cure; the faint scent of a tourmaline smudge spray permeates the air. — Jancee Dunn, Vogue, "The Future of Dieting Is Here—And it Has Nothing to do With Calorie Counting," 29 Oct. 2018 In northern California and Oregon, the snowy landscape seems at times to press right up against the train windows before breaking open into vast valleys that literally sparkle as the sun gleams off the snow, streams and lakes. — Crystal Paul, The Seattle Times, "What it’s like to take a 35-hour ride on Amtrak’s Coast Starlight train from Los Angeles to Seattle," 29 Mar. 2019 Lining the exposed brick walls are rows of gleaming silver machines, gently lit to showcase the wine bottles inside. — Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, "In Argentina, Machines Are the New 'Sommeliers'," 12 Sep. 2018 Red is the splash of color in this show’s elegant palette, and by the end there’s a lot of it — gorgeous, gleaming and as poisonous as the people in power. — Laura Collins-hughes, New York Times, "Review: Pulled Apart by ‘Love and Intrigue’," 8 June 2018 The acupuncture has worked its magic and my skin gleams like a conch shell, but my true moment of genuine wellness arrives not in Eden’s annex but on my last morning at sea, before the sun comes up. — Sloane Crosley, Vogue, "All Aboard the Good Ship Self-Care," 12 Mar. 2019 There were bubble dresses and bows galore, sweeping trains and gleaming ostrich-feathered embroideries. — Sarah Mower, Vogue, "The Top 10 Shows of London Fashion Week Fall 2019," 20 Feb. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gleam.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.