gleam

verb

gleamed; gleaming; gleams

intransitive verb

1

: to shine with or as if with subdued steady light or moderate brightness

2

: to appear briefly or faintly

a light gleamed in the distance

transitive verb

: to cause to gleam

Synonyms of gleam

• glint
• flash
• shimmer
• sparkle
• twinkle
• shine
• glisten
• glitter
• glimmer
• glow

Choose the Right Synonym for gleam

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 gleam in a Sentence

The sun gleamed on the water.

His eyes were gleaming with delight.

Recent Examples on the Web

There’s also an attached garage for two cars and a golf cart off a gleaming black driveway. —Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 3 June 2026

Others lay flat on the cold desert sand, getting tips on how to make their mobile phones take long-exposure pictures to see the galaxy gleaming overhead. —Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2026

What awaited me at the very hip, eco-conscious 1 Hotel Nashville was not merely a parade of trendy cocktails atop a gleaming rooftop. —Lanee Lee, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026

Some are gleaming stainless-steel railcars seemingly untouched since the 1940s; others are tiny hometown institutions known for oversize breakfasts and burgers hot off the griddle. —Lauren Dana Ellman, Midwest Living, 31 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1792, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Rhymes for gleam

• beam
• bream
• cream
• creme
• deem
• dream
• meme
• ream
• scheme
• scream
• seam
• seem

Kids Definition

gleam

noun

ˈglēm

1

: a small briefly visible light : glint

2

: a brief or faint appearance : trace

gleam of hope

gleam verb