Other Word Forms
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hyperlustrousadjective
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hyperlustrouslyadverb
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hyperlustrousnessnoun
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lustrouslyadverb
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lustrousnessnoun
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nonlustrousadjective
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nonlustrouslyadverb
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nonlustrousnessnoun
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semilustrousadjective
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semilustrouslyadverb
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semilustrousnessnoun
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sublustrousadjective
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sublustrouslyadverb
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sublustrousnessnoun
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unlustrousadjective
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unlustrouslyadverb
Etymology
Origin of lustrous
First recorded in 1595–1605; lust(e)r 1 + -ous
Explanation
In shampoo commercials, the hair you see swinging is lustrous. It is brilliant, in the shiny sense. Lustrous has its root in the Latin lustrare which means "to illuminate or shine light over." When something is lustrous, it reflects light in a glossy and shiny way. A bright smile and a glowing reputation are both lustrous. If someone has a long and successful work history, you might say their career is illustrious, meaning it has been lustrous for a long time.
Vocabulary lists containing lustrous
The Odyssey
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "J," "K," and "L"
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The Book Thief
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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.
Despite a lustrous popular image burnished by the 2000 film “Gladiator,” Marcus Aurelius is, to scholars, a controversial figure.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 11, 2026
Investors may not find the rules so lustrous.
From MarketWatch • Oct. 9, 2025
Nicknamed Mickey Fab and known for his lustrous blonde hair, he has been on Celebrity First Dates, and has described himself as the "life partner" of former West Midlands Mayor Sir Andy Street.
From BBC • Apr. 7, 2025
Few of them got rich, but almost nothing thereafter dimmed that lustrous light coming from the Pacific coast.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 22, 2024
His complexion was very dark, like old bark, and the hair that covered his chest and legs was a lustrous, darker shade.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
