gleam

[gleem]

See more synonyms for gleam on Thesaurus.com

noun

a flash or beam of light: the gleam of a lantern in the dark.
a dim or subdued light.
a brief or slight manifestation or occurrence; trace: a gleam of hope.

verb (used without object)

to send forth a gleam or gleams.
to appear suddenly and clearly like a flash of light.

Origin of gleam

before 1000; (noun) Middle English glem(e), Old English glǣm; cognate with Old High German gleimo glowworm; akin to Old Saxon glīmo brightness; (v.) Middle English, derivative of the noun See glimmer, glimpse

Related formsgleam·ing·ly, adverbgleam·less, adjectiveout·gleam, verb (used with object)un·gleam·ing, adjective

Synonyms for gleam

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1. Gleam, glimmer, beam, ray are terms for a stream of light. Gleam denotes a not very brilliant, intermittent or nondirectional stream of light. Glimmer indicates a nondirectional light that is feeble and unsteady: a faint glimmer of moonlight. Beam usually means a directional, and therefore smaller, stream: the beam from a searchlight. Ray usually implies a still smaller amount of light than a beam, a single line of light: a ray through a pinprick in a window shade. 4. shine, glimmer, flash, glitter, sparkle, beam.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for gleam

twinkle, glint, flicker, glimmer, sheen, glow, shine, glisten, shimmer, radiate, glitter, flash, beam, glitz, gloss, brilliance, coruscation, splendor, glance, ray

Examples from the Web for gleam

Contemporary Examples of gleam

Polish them until they gleam with malice, wicked glee, and non-registry gifts.
The First-World Anarchist’s Guide to Weddings
Kelly Williams Brown
May 31, 2014
The gleam of hope in this darkness is the number of men who came out to protest and who shielded women from baton blows.
India’s Fatal Rape Was Typical in a Country That Degrades Women
Anuradha Roy
January 2, 2013
When Clay held the world title aloft, Lipsyte saw in the gleam of the belt sports and '60s social upheaval and his own careerism.
On the Peninsula
Bryan Curtis
April 25, 2011
Nor will there be a sequel—a courtesy extended every Pixar movie except Toy Story, thus lending each a gleam of singularity.
The Company That Cracked Hollywood
Tom Shone
May 26, 2009

Historical Examples of gleam

Then she fluttered a glance at him in which there was a gleam of mockery.
Viviette
William J. Locke
She was smiling now, and he caught a gleam of mischief in her eyes.
Viviette
William J. Locke
No, her head was fallen, and he saw the gleam of her hand at her breast.
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand
She opened her eyes with a gleam of eagerness to hear the words.
Ester Ried Yet Speaking
Isabella Alden
How black is the great tower, and how bright the gleam of arms upon the wall!
The White Company
Arthur Conan Doyle

British Dictionary definitions for gleam

gleam

noun

a small beam or glow of light, esp reflected light
a brief or dim indicationa gleam of hope

verb (intr)

to send forth or reflect a beam of light
to appear, esp brieflyintelligence gleamed in his eyes

Derived Formsgleaming, adjectivegleamy, adjectivegleamingly, adverb

Word Origin for gleam

Old English glǣm; related to Old Norse gljā to flicker, Old High German gleimo glow-worm, glīmo brightness, Old Irish glē bright

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

Word Origin and History for gleam

Old English glæm "brilliant light; brightness, splendor, radiance," from Proto-Germanic *glaimiz (cf. Old Saxon glimo "brightness;" Middle High German glim "spark," gleime "glowworm;" German glimmen "to glimmer, glow;" Old Norse glija "to shine, glitter"), from root *glim-, from PIE *ghel- "to shine, glitter, glow" (see glass).

early 13c., from gleam (n). Related: Gleamed; gleaming.