gleam
gleaming; gleamed; gleams
A gleam is a bright flash of light. If you were lost on a dark, stormy night, you'd be hugely relieved to see the gleam of a roadside diner's sign up ahead.
Use the verb gleam when something is shining as if it were wet or glinting with light. Your new toothpaste might make your teeth so white that they gleam. You can also describe an emotion that appears briefly as a gleam, like a gleam of hope. And as you hatch a plan to toilet-paper the neighbor's yard, mischief might gleam in your eyes.
Definitions of gleam
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a flash of light (especially reflected light)
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an appearance of reflected light
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type of:
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effulgence, radiance, radiancy, refulgence, refulgency, shine
the quality of being bright and sending out rays of light
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effulgence, radiance, radiancy, refulgence, refulgency, shine
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shine brightly, like a star or a light
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be shiny, as if wet
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appear briefly“A terrible thought gleamed in her mind”
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type of:
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appear, come along
come into being or existence, or appear on the scene
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appear, come along
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘gleam'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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