glint
Americannoun
-
glints
plural
verb (used without object)
-
glints,
present (3rd person singular)
-
glinted,
past participle, past
-
glinting
present participle
-
to shine with a glint.
-
to move suddenly; dart.
verb (used with object)
-
glints,
present (3rd person singular)
-
glinted,
past participle, past
-
glinting
present participle
verb
noun
-
a bright gleam or flash
-
brightness or gloss
-
a brief indication
Synonym Usage
See flash.
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
glintsimple
-
glintssimple
-
have glintedperfect
-
has glintedperfect
-
am glintingprogressive
-
are glintingprogressive
-
is glintingprogressive
-
have been glintingperfect progressive
-
has been glintingperfect progressive
Past
-
glintedsimple
-
had glintedperfect
-
was glintingprogressive
-
were glintingprogressive
-
had been glintingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of glint
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English glint, variant of obsolete glent; compare Danish glente, Swedish dialect glänta “to glimpse, brighten”
Explanation
A glint is a brief flash or flicker of light. You might enjoy gazing at the glint of light on the water as you lie on the beach in the summer time. You can use the word glint as a noun or a verb: your brother's braces might glint in the afternoon sun, and freshly fallen snow sometimes glints under streetlamps at night. Glint is a Scottish word, first coined in the late 1700s, that comes from the Middle English glenten, "gleam, flash, or glisten." Its ultimate root is Scandinavian, possibly from the same root as the word glass.
Vocabulary lists containing glint
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Prisoner B-3087
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
A Long Way from Chicago
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
"There was a glint of fear. They were dour. This was something more than someone being ill. It was something that affected them."
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
If it doesn’t glint in the light, I’m not interested.
From Salon ● Mar. 5, 2026
Netflix’s purchase of WBD would result in a “big market share” he says with a glint in his eye.
From Barron's ● Feb. 4, 2026
Doug feverishly bangs out a script and Griff, who plans to star in the remake, calls it “a masterpiece,” though the demented glint in Mr. Black’s eyes assures us it’s anything but.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 24, 2025
Chicken nodded, with a glint in his eye.
From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn
When his camera isn’t woozily circling like a merry-go-round, his edginess glints.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2026
These glints, or specular reflections, have been observed, for instance, on Saturn's largest moon, Titan, which helped to confirm the moon's large lakes.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 28, 2023
But jokes litter the film like scattered Legos, making you hesitate long enough to appreciate how the light glints off Ballister’s armor-plated shoulders.
From New York Times ● Jun. 29, 2023
Cables snake everywhere, insulation glints in the sunlight, ceiling panels have yet to be fitted and protective coverings mask the floors - but the hard work is done.
From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2023
I watch as the moonlight glints off the frozen surface, dark and beautiful.
From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott
Diver Mags Martin said: "Because we had torches, it glinted in the torchlight."
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2025
As the Parisian runway glinted under the weight of expectation, Sarah Burton, with a profound respect for legacy and an unmistakable innovative touch, presented her magnum opus for Alexander McQueen Saturday night.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 1, 2023
Her eyes glinted wickedly, and she paused dramatically.
From New York Times ● Mar. 26, 2023
Its dagger-like fangs glinted in the dim light.
From Slate ● Dec. 24, 2022
Early-morning sunlight glinted off the water, throwing out ripples from the fish caught by the overnight lines which were baited and left to drift each evening by Brother Alf.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
His third delivery, one followed with a glinting glare, beat the edge of Henry Nicholls' bat.
From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026
The small canvas shows a young woman set on a dark background, her head turned towards the viewer and a pearl earring glinting from beneath her blue and cream turban.
From Barron's ● Jan. 8, 2026
"It's like many, many thousands of rotating, glinting ruffled potato chips."
From Salon ● Apr. 4, 2025
New John Deere tractors made their way last week through the sprawling port of Brunswick, Ga., their distinctive green paint glinting in the sunshine.
From New York Times ● Apr. 17, 2024
Yes, there was the surface of the ocean with the sun glinting off it.
From "Wolfie & Fly" by Cary Fagan
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.
