Synonyms

gleaming

American

[glee-ming] / ˈgli mɪŋ /

adjective

giving off or appearing to give off light or brightness; radiant; shining.

A cold, gray light filtered down through the bushes and lay on the faintly gleaming sand.
The newest release is a gleaming composite of epic, unabashedly pretty '70s songwriting and fancy-pants disco hedonism.

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of gleaming

gleam ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. )

Explanation

Teeth in toothpaste commercials are gleaming. They sparkle when the light hits. When you see this word, think of a bright reflected ray of light, on teeth, on water, or in someone's smiling eyes. A new skyscraper that reflects light might also be described as gleaming. If you are excited to move to a new place, someone might say that your eyes are gleaming with excitement, especially as you view the gleaming wood floors and gleaming freshly-washed windows of your new home. The word has a clean, glittering, sparkly feel to it.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing gleaming

A Long Walk to Water

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The Star-Spangled Banner

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Brown Girl Dreaming

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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 block is about to be demolished to make way for a gleaming new residential complex, and the mosaic is to be torn down.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

It’s easy to picture the fantasy kitchen: matching sets, gleaming gadgets, drawers that close with a soft, expensive hush.

From Salon • Apr. 21, 2026

Looking up with a gleaming, wide grin as if to catch her next words, Khong is deceptively calm for a bestselling author whose third book, “My Dear You,” is out this month.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

The listing images include few personal touches inside the home, capturing gleaming white spaces filled with neutral furniture and decor.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

It was even more beautiful when it was clean, more wonderful than a shell’s gleaming inside whorls, because it was whole and perfect.

From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr

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