glisten
Americanverb (used without object)
noun
verb
-
(of a wet or glossy surface) to gleam by reflecting light
wet leaves glisten in the sunlight
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(of light) to reflect with brightness
the sunlight glistens on wet leaves
noun
Synonym Usage
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 Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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glistensimple
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glistenssimple
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have glistenedperfect
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has glistenedperfect
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am glisteningprogressive
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are glisteningprogressive
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is glisteningprogressive
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have been glisteningperfect progressive
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has been glisteningperfect progressive
Past
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glistenedsimple
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had glistenedperfect
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was glisteningprogressive
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were glisteningprogressive
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had been glisteningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of glisten
First recorded before 1000; Middle English glis(t)nen (verb), Old English glisnian, derivative of glisian “to glitter; ” see -en 1
Explanation
Glisten is a verb meaning that something looks shiny, like it's wet. Rocks on the beach glisten in the sun. And your sister’s prom dress, covered in sequins, no doubt will glisten under the disco ball. The word glisten can also be used metaphorically. After you tossed and turned throughout the night, in the morning, you could see the perfect solution glisten right in front of you. As a noun, a glisten is a bright shine. When you are driving into the setting sun, the glisten of the sun on the hood of the car makes it hard to see.
Vocabulary lists containing glisten
Unit 1: Telling Details
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"Everyday Use" by Alice Walker
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Christmas Carol Vocab: A Lyrical Lexicon
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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.
His lordly ships of ice Glisten in the sun; On each side, like pennons wide, Flashing crystal streamlets run.
From The Golden Treasury of American Songs and Lyrics by Knowles, Frederic Lawrence
She stands again by a garden wall, The peach tree is in bloom, pink blossoms fall, Water sings from an opened tap, the bees Glisten and murmur among the trees.
From The House of Dust; a symphony by Aiken, Conrad
Where the smooth leaves of the lime Glisten in the honey time, Come away—away!
From Heathen Mythology by Various
Shallow was the castle's moat then, Well-nigh dry, and 'mid the rushes Glisten many swords and spear-heads.
From The Trumpeter of Säkkingen A Song from the Upper Rhine. by Scheffel, Joseph Victor von
Listen, Listen, listen, listen Glisten, glisten, glisten, glisten And hear my Lullaby!
From Letters of John Keats to His Family and Friends by Keats, John
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.
