glisten

[ glis-uhn ]

See synonyms for: glisten glistened glistening glisteningly on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)

to reflect a sparkling light or a faint intermittent glow; shine lustrously.

noun

a glistening; sparkle.

Origin of glisten

First recorded before 1000; Middle English glis(t)nen (verb), Old English glisnian, derivative of glisian “to glitter; ” see -en¹

synonym study For glisten

1. Glisten, shimmer, sparkle refer to different ways in which light is reflected from surfaces. Glisten refers to a lustrous light, as from something sleek or wet, or it may refer to myriads of tiny gleams reflected from small surfaces: Wet fur glistens. Snow glistens in the sunlight. Shimmer refers to the changing play of light on a (generally moving) surface, as of water or silk: Moonbeams shimmer on water. Silk shimmers in a high light. To sparkle is to give off sparks or small ignited particles, or to send forth small but brilliant gleams, sometimes by reflection: A diamond sparkles with numerous points of light.

Other words for glisten

1	glimmer, gleam, glitter

See synonyms for glisten on Thesaurus.com

Other words from glisten

glis·ten·ing·ly, adverb
un·glis·ten·ing, adjective

Words Nearby glisten

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use glisten in a sentence

I wanted the whole dress to glisten, so I used a lace with silver thread in it.
Meet the ‘Downton Abbey’ Costume Queen | Katie Baker | January 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Her tiny, 5-foot frame and pale white prison skin seemed to glisten with anguish.
Casey Anthony's Mystery Tears | Diane Dimond | May 9, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST
When it begins to glisten, add the onion and sauté until it is soft and slightly golden, about five minutes.
Eco-Chic Safari | Sophie Menin | July 27, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST
See that boy's eyes glisten while you are speaking of a neighbor in a language you would not wish to have repeated.
The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness | Florence Hartley
Only once, when Sogrange incautiously displayed a gold watch, did the eyes of one or two of their number glisten.
The Double Four | E. Phillips Oppenheim

Wait until nightfall, and it will positively glisten with lamps and gleam with merriment.
A Cursory History of Swearing | Julian Sharman
Their monasteries rise in the midst of the fertile plains of Syria, their basilicas glisten in our cities beside our mosques.
The Pilgrim's Shell or Fergan the Quarryman | Eugne Sue
The streets glisten clean in the sunlight, and every window is a reflector of glad promise.
The Onlooker, Volume 1, Part 2 | Various

British Dictionary definitions for glisten

glisten

/ (ˈɡlɪsən) /

verb(intr)

(of a wet or glossy surface) to gleam by reflecting light: wet leaves glisten in the sunlight
(of light) to reflect with brightness: the sunlight glistens on wet leaves

noun

rare a gleam or gloss

Origin of glisten

Old English glisnian; related to glisian to glitter, Middle High German glistern

Derived forms of glisten

glisteningly, adverb

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

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