glisten

1 of 2

verb

glis·​ten ˈgli-sᵊn How to pronounce glisten (audio)
glistened; glistening ˈgli-sᵊn-iŋ How to pronounce glisten (audio)

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

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
The Americans stood on the deck in blue uniforms with white helmets and gloves, their ship glistening in the sun. Sarah A. Topol, New York Times, 20 Sep. 2024 The final step, of course, was a top coat to seal in the shine and make the shimmering, glimmering chrome detail glisten even more glamorously on the red carpet. Kara Nesvig, Allure, 16 Sep. 2024
Noun
Loading your audio article There was a glisten in her eyes. Susan Mathison, Hartford Courant, 23 Feb. 2024 Two decades on, the millennial glisten has given way to organic austerity; the dominant tones are now ocher and umber, turmeric and coffee. Martha Schwendener, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for glisten 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'glisten.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of glisten was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near glisten

Cite this Entry

“Glisten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glisten. Accessed 6 Oct. 2024.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on glisten

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