glisten

verb glis·ten \ ˈgli-sᵊn \

Updated on: 16 Apr 2018

Definition of glisten

glistened; glistening play \ˈgli-sᵊn-iŋ\

intransitive verb

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

See glisten defined for English-language learners

See glisten defined for kids

Examples of glisten in a Sentence

Rain made the streets glisten.
The streets glistened in the rain.
Her eyes glistened with tears.
a long beach of glistening sand

Recent Examples of glisten from the Web

Time SUVs and crossover vehicles are glistening in the U.S., as American consumers dump passenger cars for roomier rides.

— nathan bomey, USA TODAY, "5 hot sellers: Jeep, Buick SUVs among U.S. auto sales leaders in March," 3 Apr. 2018
In 2016, Lin opened her first Pop Bag store, full of glistening fixtures and backlit shelving, on Via Calimala, in Florence.

— keith gessen, The New Yorker, "The Chinese Workers Who Assemble Designer Bags in Tuscany," 20 Feb. 2017
Millions of glistening babes in bikinis, advertising their abs, vibrant and vivacious.

— ali wentworth, Harper's BAZAAR, "Who Me? Irrelevant? An Essay On Aging," 29 Mar. 2018
Bakayoko came to Chelsea in the summer with a glistening reputation- hence his £40m price tag- but so far the former Monaco man has fallen way below expectations in his debut season at Stamford Bridge.

— SI.com, "Chelsea Fans Joyous After £40m Flop Tiemoue Bakoyoko Is Ruled Out of Barcelona Tie," 18 Feb. 2018
Even abroad, though, her special status as presidential daughter followed her like so much glistening snow.

— the washington post, NOLA.com, "'Where is Ivanka?' First daughter seeks control in dual role as White House adviser," 12 Mar. 2018
Massage the oil onto each kale piece until the oil is evenly distributed and the kale glistens.

— debbie arrington, sacbee, "From avocados to kale: How one man forever changed the way we eat | The Sacramento Bee," 6 Mar. 2018
There are white pails full of glistening fillings, poppy seed and prune, strawberry and apricot, even bowls full of chocolate chips.

— lynn ischay, cleveland.com, "Hamantaschen adds sweetness to Purim celebrations (photos)," 28 Feb. 2018
Louisville had just won a share of the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title, had already been presented red championship T-shirts and a glistening black trophy when Myisha Hines-Allen caught sight of something greater.

— danielle lerner, The Courier-Journal, "Regular season title in hand, Louisville women's basketball charges into ACC Tournament," 26 Feb. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of glisten

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

glisten Synonyms

Synonyms

coruscate, flame, flash, glance, gleam, glimmer, glint, glister, glitter, luster (or lustre), scintillate, shimmer, spangle, sparkle, twinkle, wink, winkle;

Related Words

beam, radiate, shine;

bedazzle, blind, daze, dazzle;

blaze, burn, flare, glare, glow;

Synonym Discussion of 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

glisten

noun

Definition of glisten

: glitter, sparkle

Recent Examples of glisten from the Web

Gold accents, such as a gold soap dish, glisten throughout the bathroom.

— jason wilson, chicagotribune.com, "What I learned about America's future from visiting Trump resorts around the world," 14 Mar. 2018
But, as its title implies, much of Man of the Woods also comes with the moonshine-and-mason-jar glisten of country, blues and folk.

— nina braca, Billboard, "Justin Timberlake's 'Man of the Woods': What Critics Are Saying," 2 Feb. 2018
Saffitz wanted the same glisten that Tartine's had under the light, upped the cardamom as a nod to Scandinavian tradition, and emulated the plethora of spots adding whole wheat into their flour mix.

— claire saffitz, Bon Appetit, "We Want to Eat These Morning Buns for the Rest of Our Lives," 30 Apr. 2017
Others are suited for a sweat-free post-workout glisten.

— devon abelman, Allure, "How to Master the Glazed Doughnut Highlighter Technique," 30 Oct. 2017
The sterling is polished, the crystal glistens and extra chairs are arranged around the table.

— nancy a. herrick, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Dinner is not served: Formal dining rooms get smart makeovers for year-round use," 15 Oct. 2017
Sausage-stuffed quail glistens in its fat, the bird’s skin caramelized a deep golden brown from careful management over the coals.

— julia kramer, Bon Appetit, "Forest to Table: How the Oldest Cooking Method Became the (Literal) Hottest Trend in Restaurants," 8 June 2017
Saffitz wanted the same glisten that Tartine's had under the light, upped the cardamom as a nod to Scandinavian tradition, and emulated the plethora of spots adding whole wheat into their flour mix.

— claire saffitz, Bon Appetit, "We Want to Eat These Morning Buns for the Rest of Our Lives," 30 Apr. 2017
Under his tenure, wind farms have taken root on mountain passes, while large swaths of desert glisten with solar arrays.

— alexander nazaryan, Newsweek, "California v. Trump: The Fight Begins for Health Care, Immigration and the Future of America," 23 Jan. 2017

Origin and Etymology of glisten

see ¹glisten

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1840

See Words from the same year

GLISTEN Defined for English Language Learners

glisten

verb

Definition of glisten for English Language Learners

: to shine with light reflected off a wet surface

GLISTEN Defined for Kids

glisten

verb glis·ten \ ˈgli-sᵊn \

Definition of glisten for Students

glistened; glistening

: to shine with a soft reflected light

Learn More about glisten

See words that rhyme with glisten Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for glisten Spanish Central: Translation of glisten Nglish: Translation of glisten for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of glisten for Arabic speakers

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glisten

Definition of glisten

Examples of glisten in a Sentence

Recent Examples of glisten from the Web

Origin and Etymology of glisten

glisten Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Synonym Discussion of glisten

glisten

Definition of glisten

Recent Examples of glisten from the Web

Origin and Etymology of glisten

GLISTEN Defined for English Language Learners

glisten

Definition of glisten for English Language Learners

GLISTEN Defined for Kids

glisten

Definition of glisten for Students

Learn More about glisten

Seen and Heard

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