glint

1 of 2

verb

ˈglint 

glinted; glinting; glints

intransitive verb

1

a

archaic : to glance off an object

b

of rays of light : to be reflected at an angle from a surface

2

: to give off reflection in brilliant flashes

also : gleam

3

: to look quickly or briefly : glance

4

: to appear briefly or faintly

transitive verb

: to cause to glint

glint

2 of 2

noun

1

: a tiny bright flash of light

2

: a brief or faint manifestation : glimmer

a glint of recognition

also : a trace of emotion expressed through the eyes

a steely glint in his eye

Synonyms

Verb

• gleam
• flash

Choose the Right Synonym for glint

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 glint in a Sentence

Verb

The sun glinted off the tops of the waves.

The waves glinted in the sunlight.

Noun

He saw glints of sunlight on the river's surface.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

For many, Maine is a summer refuge—beaches with powdery sand and glinting grey-blue water intermingled with bucolic topography; mountains, lake houses. —Caroline Reilly, Robb Report, 6 June 2025

Sunlight glints off the water with a Mediterranean shimmer. —Alexandra Gillespie, AFAR Media, 23 June 2025

Noun

The camera caresses her, slicing her body into limbs, arcs, glints of effort. —arkansasonline.com, 10 July 2025

Barely discernible in the May gloom, a glint of purple shone from the jacaranda’s canopy; nearby, seed pods dotted patches of green. —Malia Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, to dart obliquely, glint, alteration of glenten, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Swedish dialect glänta to clear up; akin to Old High German glanz bright, Old English geolu yellow — more at yellow

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for glint

• clint
• dint
• hint
• lint
• mint
• print
• quint
• quinte
• splint
• sprint
• squint
• stint

Kids Definition

glint

verb

ˈglint

: to shine by reflection:

a

: to shine with small bright flashes

b

: to shine briefly

glint noun