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glisten

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb glisten contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of glisten are flash, gleam, glimmer, glint, glitter, shimmer, and sparkle. While all these words mean "to send forth light," glisten applies to the soft sparkle from a wet or oily surface.

glistening wet sidewalk

When would flash be a good substitute for glisten?

The words flash and glisten can be used in similar contexts, but flash implies a sudden outburst of bright light.

lightning flashed

When could gleam be used to replace glisten?

Although the words gleam and glisten have much in common, gleam suggests a steady light seen through an obscuring medium or against a dark background.

lights gleamed in the valley

Where would glimmer be a reasonable alternative to glisten?

The words glimmer and glisten are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, glimmer suggests a faint or wavering gleam.

a distant glimmering light

When might glint be a better fit than glisten?

While in some cases nearly identical to glisten, glint implies a cold glancing light.

glinting steel

When is it sensible to use glitter instead of glisten?

The meanings of glitter and glisten largely overlap; however, glitter connotes a brilliant sparkling or gleaming.

glittering diamonds

When can shimmer be used instead of glisten?

While the synonyms shimmer and glisten are close in meaning, shimmer means shining with a wavering light.

a shimmering satin dress

In what contexts can sparkle take the place of glisten?

The synonyms sparkle and glisten are sometimes interchangeable, but sparkle suggests innumerable moving points of bright light.

the sparkling waters

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of glisten
Verb
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 Loading your audio article There was a glisten in her eyes. Susan Mathison, Hartford Courant, 23 Feb. 2024
Noun
Raw Murder Point oysters are served with a straightforward mignonette, smoked beets glisten with orange trout roe, a color combo inspiring enough to inform a fashionista. Beth D'addono, Southern Living, 4 Aug. 2025 Just below the Rusty Nail, there are pristine pine forests, lakes that glisten under the sun, and immaculate asphalt cycle paths. Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for glisten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for glisten
Verb
  • Marble floors gleamed beneath towering columns, and the chandeliers cast a warm, golden light.
    Maggie Downs, Oc Register, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Megan Moroney, Malin Akerman and Brittany Snow brought the shine to their section in their gleaming ensembles.
    Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Lit Ghost Cloche Add a small but impactful touch of Halloween with these little ghost cloches that add an eerie glow to coffee tables, shelves, and countertops.
    Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Sep. 2025
  • For the Grad School Queens and Teachers Whether she’s headed back to school for her master’s or ruling the classroom, the women returning to academia deserve a beauty routine that supports her grind without sacrificing her glow.
    Larry Stansbury, Essence, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Moored on the shimmering curve of the South Bank, Sea Containers is London’s answer to maritime maximalism—an all-day, all-night glam escape where ocean liner nostalgia gets a high-gloss, high-style reboot.
    Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
  • The woman, who goes by Madi online, shared the clip, to her TikTok account @tiktakmadi on Friday, showing a thin layer of white clouds in the sky, revealing the shimmering skyscrapers, reflecting the pink light of the sunrise above the iconic city.
    Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The glint and thrum of Y2K aesthetics—as contrasted with the droning conservatism of the white-collar office—read as anticipatory rather than melancholic, looking toward a future liberated from systems of old.
    Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 23 Aug. 2025
  • Newman plays Reggie with a permanently mischievous glint in his eye and a schemer’s grin.
    Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 19 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • In Shasta County, near the geographic top of California, McArthur-Burney State Park is known for its picturesque waterfalls, with rainbows rising through the mist when the sun shines just right.
    David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
  • By shining light onto molecules to analyze these vibrations, techniques such as infrared spectroscopy or Raman spectroscopy can identify these molecules.
    IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The overwhelming success of the book and the resulting media glare opened a divide between them.
    Anderson Tepper, The Atlantic, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Mercury was part of it during August, but has since sunk back into the glare of the sun.
    Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The sparkling citrus soda is a versatile beverage that pairs beautifully with a range of dishes, from light salads to rich entrees.
    Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Sep. 2025
  • After sparkling speculation of a lighter hair hue during an August sighting, Thursday's outing confirmed that Princess Kate was rocking summer highlights and let her hair grow down to the middle of her back, making for her blondest and longest style ever.
    Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Chiefs fans had a brief glimmer of hope as a flag was thrown on LA’s touchdown.
    Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 6 Sep. 2025
  • There were glimmers of the magnificent past at the 2024 French Open against Iga Swiatek when Osaka won the second set 6-1 and was within a point of going 5-1 up in the decider.
    Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Glisten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/glisten. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

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