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.
Lustrous fingernails are manicured and buffed, a distinct inference of social class, while the function of a compression bandage is to bind up wounds and aid in healing.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2022
Lustrous painted skins are expertly slipped over custom molds; sculpted clay outlines minute muscles.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 18, 2018
Lustrous dark brown and noted for their durability and warmth, sea-otter skins were prized by Russian czars even above sable.
From Time Magazine Archive
Lustrous, Not Lacking Sir: News about the quality of our orchestras seems to take a long time to cross the Atlantic.
From Time Magazine Archive
Then they slathered me with Peabody’s Finest Hair Food, Guaranteed to Produce Lustrous Locks, and set me out in the sun to bake for yet another hour with this revolting sulfur grease on my head.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
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.
