reflecting
Americanadjective
-
casting back light, heat, sound, etc., from a surface.
An echo is heard when the reflecting surface is at a considerable distance from both the speaker and the hearer.
-
having a mirrorlike effect; giving back or showing an image.
The most memorable feature of Hadrian’s Villa for me was the reflecting pool at the back, surrounded by ruins and statues.
-
thinking, pondering, or meditating.
It is apparent to every reflecting mind that a crisis has arisen which requires the consideration and action of every peace-loving citizen.
noun
-
an act or instance of casting back light, heat, etc., of giving back an image, or of showing or reproducing something.
This room feels almost like it's under the sea; the mirror mimics the reflecting of the water.
-
an act or instance of thinking, pondering, or meditating.
We have been doing some reflecting on the year that has just passed.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of reflecting
First recorded in 1525–35; reflect ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses; reflect ( def. ) + -ing 1 ( def. ) for the noun senses
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.
While reflecting upon her four-decade-long career in “Kylie,” an intimate new three-part Netflix documentary, Kylie Minogue says a throwaway line that anchors the endeavor: “Life makes sense to me onstage.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026
Over the past week, however, the gap between short and long-term yields has jumped in the U.K. and Japan, reflecting investors’ anxiety about the political situations in those countries.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
A heatwave in the UK is defined by the Met Office as at least three consecutive days with daily maximum temperatures exceeding a county-specific threshold, reflecting unusually hot weather for the time of year.
From BBC • May 19, 2026
But, Goldberger goes on, “neither Trump’s arch nor his redone reflecting pool nor his gaggle of statues is a meaningful new layer of history.”
From Slate • May 18, 2026
A pool of water with the moon reflecting in it...who would want to throw a stone and break the picture?
From "Pet" by Akwaeke Emezi
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.
