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luster

1 American  
[luhs-ter] / ˈlʌs tər /
especially British, lustre

noun

  1. the state or quality of shining by reflecting light; glitter, sparkle, sheen, or gloss.

    the luster of satin.
    Antonyms:
    dullness

  2. a substance, as a coating or polish, used to impart sheen or gloss.

  3. radiant or luminous brightness; brilliance; radiance.

  4. radiance of beauty, excellence, merit, distinction, or glory.

    achievements that add luster to one's name.

  5. a shining object, especially one used for decoration, as a cut-glass pendant or ornament.

  6. a chandelier, candleholder, etc., ornamented with cut-glass pendants.

  7. any natural or synthetic fabric with a lustrous finish.

  8. Also called metallic luster.  an iridescent metallic film produced on the surface of a ceramic glaze.

  9. Mineralogy. the nature of a mineral surface with respect to its reflective qualities.

    greasy luster.

verb (used with object)

  1. to finish (fur, cloth, pottery, etc.) with a luster or gloss.

verb (used without object)

  1. to be or become lustrous.

luster 2 American  
[luhs-ter] / ˈlʌs tər /

noun

  1. a person who lusts.

    a luster after power.
luster 3 American  
[luhs-ter] / ˈlʌs tər /
especially British, lustre

noun

  1. lustrum.

luster Scientific  
/ lŭs′tər /

  1. The shine from the surface of a mineral. Luster is important in describing different kinds of minerals. It is usually characterized as metallic, glassy, pearly, or dull.

Related Words

See polish.

Other Word Forms

  • lusterless adjective

Etymology

Origin of luster1

First recorded in 1515–25; from Middle French lustre, from Italian lustro, derivative of lustrare “to polish, purify,” from Latin lūstrāre “to purify ceremonially,” derivative of lūstrum lustrum

Origin of luster2

First recorded in 1585–95; lust + -er 1

Origin of luster3

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English lustre, from Latin lūstrum lustrum

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.

Owens & Co., which services and restores older statuettes that have lost their luster.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2026

But the perk has lost some of its luster as overcrowding and restrictions at participating lounges have made entry less reliable.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

The Winter Olympics proved to be another sensation with streaming viewers, but now that they’re over, Peacock has lost much of its luster.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 27, 2026

The clash lost some luster with Oklahoma City's reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander headlining a raft of Thunder absentees as he missed a ninth straight game with an abdominal strain.

From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026

Shallow moons had been worn into the risers; the bannister, he saw, had lost its luster.

From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson

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.