Synonyms

reflect

American

[ri-flekt] / rɪˈflɛkt /

verb (used with object)

to cast back (light, heat, sound, etc.) from a surface.

The mirror reflected the light onto the wall.
to give back or show an image of; mirror.
(of an act or its result) to serve to cast or bring (credit, discredit, etc.) on its performer.
to reproduce; show.

followers reflecting the views of the leader.

Synonyms:

manifest
to throw or cast back; cause to return or rebound.

Her bitterness reflects gloom on all her family.

verb (used without object)

to be turned or cast back, as light.

Synonyms:

resound, reecho
to cast back light, heat, etc.
to be reflected or mirrored.
to give back or show an image.
to think, ponder, or meditate.

to reflect on one's virtues and faults.

Synonyms:

contemplate, cogitate, consider, muse, deliberate, ruminate, ponder, meditate, think
to serve or tend to bring reproach or discredit by association.

His crimes reflected on the whole community.
to serve to give a particular aspect or impression.

The test reflects well on your abilities.

reflect British

/ rɪˈflɛkt /

verb

to undergo or cause to undergo a process in which light, other electromagnetic radiation, sound, particles, etc, are thrown back after impinging on a surface
(of a mirror, etc) to form an image of (something) by reflection
(tr) to show or express

his tactics reflect his desire for power
(tr) to bring as a consequence

the success of the project reflected great credit on all the staff
(intr; foll by on or upon) to cause to be regarded in a specified way

her behaviour reflects well on her
(intr; foll by on or upon) to cast dishonour, discredit, etc (on)

his conduct reflects on his parents
to think, meditate, or ponder

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

See study.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of reflect

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English reflecten, from Latin reflectere “to bend back,” equivalent to re- re- + flectere “to bend”

Explanation

Something that reflects comes back to you. If you look in a mirror, you will see your reflected image. If you reflect on your past experiences, you look at them once again thoughtfully. Reflect also means to give evidence of the character or quality of something. Most parents want their children to reflect their own strengths by emulating their behavior. A set of telling statistics could reflect the buying trends in an economic cycle. Reflecting can mean seeing something original in another form or image.

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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.

See Examples For:

reflect reflects reflected reflecting

Last weekend, The Irish Times reported, external that a large winery in County Louth has been dropped by a distributor as its labelling didn't reflect that some French grapes had been used in its production.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

Soon after opening a separate office in his native northern England he gave an interview there to Elizabeth Day, a writer, whose podcast "How to Fail" invites celebrities to reflect on mistakes they have made.

From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026

However, the researchers caution that this geographic pattern could reflect differences in coroner awareness and testing practices rather than the actual distribution of cases.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 15, 2026

Anyone who says that doesn’t reflect the modern American way has their head in the sand.

From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026

The lake doesn’t reflect your own face—it shows you someone else who has looked or will look into it.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

“We’ve definitely been bred up in this music,” BG reflects.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

This measurement reflects the amount of sugar in the blood after an eight- to 12-hour fast.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026

Shira Eisenberg, founder of an AI startup for early childhood, thinks the popularity of the phrase reflects a culture of bristling ambition stoked by the AI boom.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

But the stakes are higher in the AI era, argues economics blogger Noah Smith, and the commentary from executives reflects that.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

The rock-passing accompaniment reflects the idea of a tight-knit community and cooperation, for if even one child fails to pass their rock on the beat to the next child, the entire song cannot continue.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

To test how much of that nostalgia reflected an actual historical difference, I called alcohol historian Scott Martin.

From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026

For the most part, the sum reflected Romney’s earnings from Bain Capital, the private-equity firm he co-founded.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

The auction reflected worries over the “growing federal debt burden and inflation that remains above the Fed’s target,” Danske Bank analysts said in a note.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

The BBC shared a copy of the leaked review with Emma Norton, founder of the Centre for Military Justice, who said it reflected the concerns of many of her clients.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

“I reflected on how inadequate any man is for the office of the American Presidency,” he later recalled.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

The dollar fell to a 10-week low against a basket of currencies on Monday, reflecting doubts over whether the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates this year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

"It's a moment for reflection... reflecting on how things came to this."

From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026

Both Super Micro and CoreWeave pointed to swelling backlogs reflecting ongoing customer demand for AI hardware.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026

Festival organisers said the event will bring together "world-famous names alongside brand-new voices, reflecting the festival's commitment to celebrating today's leading names while championing the writers, thinkers and storytellers of the future".

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

“That’s good,” said Nokomis, reflecting, “unless we need meat. What did you say next?”

From "The Birchbark House" by Louise Erdrich

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023