Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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nonlustrousadjective
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unlustrouslyadverb
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sublustrousadjective
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sublustrousnessnoun
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semilustrouslyadverb
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semilustrousadjective
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unlustrousadjective
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hyperlustrousadjective
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nonlustrousnessnoun
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nonlustrouslyadverb
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hyperlustrousnessnoun
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lustrousnessnoun
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hyperlustrouslyadverb
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sublustrouslyadverb
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lustrouslyadverb
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semilustrousnessnoun
Etymology
Origin of lustrous
First recorded in 1595–1605; lust(e)r 1 + -ous
Explanation
In shampoo commercials, the hair you see swinging is lustrous. It is brilliant, in the shiny sense. Lustrous has its root in the Latin lustrare which means "to illuminate or shine light over." When something is lustrous, it reflects light in a glossy and shiny way. A bright smile and a glowing reputation are both lustrous. If someone has a long and successful work history, you might say their career is illustrious, meaning it has been lustrous for a long time.
Vocabulary lists containing lustrous
The Odyssey
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "J," "K," and "L"
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The Book Thief
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Hunt bust is fashioned in the lustrous, realistic style that French would bring to the Lincoln Memorial a generation later.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
Of special demand was the glittering plumage of the quetzal, a lustrous creature native to southern Mexico and Central America.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 24, 2025
Investors may not find the rules so lustrous.
From MarketWatch • Oct. 9, 2025
Nicknamed Mickey Fab and known for his lustrous blonde hair, he has been on Celebrity First Dates, and has described himself as the "life partner" of former West Midlands Mayor Sir Andy Street.
From BBC • Apr. 7, 2025
Presently the chambers gave up their fair tenants one after another: each came out gaily and airily, with dress that gleamed lustrous through the dusk.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
