- present participle of reflect.
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
Derived 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.
Reflecting that strength, the extra yield, or spread, that investors demand to hold 10-year Alphabet, Amazon and Microsoft bonds over U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
We knew that the Reflecting Pool work was going on because Trump had talked about it so much.
From Slate • Jun. 4, 2026
Reflecting these trends, 62% of respondents to Bank of America’s most recent fund-manager survey indicated they anticipate the 30-year Treasury yield will top 6% in the next 12 months.
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
Reflecting that political juggle, NextEra and Dominion are proposing to give $2.25 billion in bill credits to customers to sweeten the deal with federal and state regulators.
From MarketWatch • May 18, 2026
Reflecting back the sun deep in the darkness like a flash of knives in a cave.
From "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy
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.
