glisten

1 of 2

verb

glis·​ten ˈgli-sᵊn 

glistened; glistening ˈgli-sᵊn-iŋ 

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

: glitter, sparkle

Synonyms of glisten

Verb

• gleam
• shine
• shimmer
• sparkle

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 remaining three — a chocolate brown pocket blush, a baby pink bottle and a glistening bronze bottle — were captioned with a brown heart, stars and the eyes emoji. —Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 6 May 2026

His hotel in Las Vegas glistens like a vertical gold bar. —Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 4 May 2026

And then there’s Nico, looking like everybody’s big brother at spring practices, smack-talking and celebrating the guys, as engaged as Chesney but easier to spot because his golden helmet glistens above everyone else’s. —Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026

From heirloom tiaras to glistening sapphires and an ocean’s worth of pearls, Elizabeth had a bijou box worth millions—composed of both new pieces and the 142 Crown Jewels that are passed from monarch to monarch. —Emily Kelleher, InStyle, 8 Apr. 2026

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

Rhymes for glisten

• bisson
• christen
• frisson
• listen
• nissen
• hemolysin
• rifampicin

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