Synonyms for gleam
- verb
- noun
Synonyms by meaning
Verb
1. Glisten — to shine, especially in an indistinct or intermittent manner; to glisten, to glitter
glisten, glint, sparkle, glow, glitter, light, glare, shimmer, luster US, lustre UK, glance, light up, dawn, beam, illuminate, radiate, scintillate, leam UK, twinkle, glimpse, spark, blaze
Noun
3. Sheen
Other
Definitions
- v. 1
To shine, especially in an indistinct or intermittent manner; to glisten, to glitter.
- v. 2
To be strongly but briefly apparent.
- n. 1
An indistinct sign of something; a glimpse or hint.
The rescue workers preserved a gleam of optimism that the trapped miners might still survive.
- n. 2
Brightness or shininess; radiance, splendour.
Choose the right word
A gleam is not wavering, but transient or intermittent; a sudden gleam of light came through the half-open door; a glitter is a hard light; as, the glitter of burnished arms.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- glow The green lampshade casts a warm glow in the room.
- sparkle Let's make those teeth sparkle with some brushing.
- glisten The morning sun makes the hoarfrost on the twigs and branches glisten.
By length
- 3 letters
- ray1
- 4 letters
- dawn1, beam1, glow1, leam
- 5 letters
- light1, flash1, trace1, spark1, blaze1, flare1, gloss1, glare1, sheen1, glint1
- 6 letters
- glance1, kindle2, luster2, lustre2, dazzle2
- 7 letters
- glimpse1, glitter2, sparkle2, twinkle2, glimmer2, shimmer2, radiate3, glisten2
- 8 letters
- lambency
- 10 letters
- brightness2, illuminate4
- 11 letters
- scintillate, coruscation
- 13 letters
- scintillation
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (kindle2 = 2 syllables).