reflect
Americanverb (used with object)
-
reflects,
present (3rd person singular)
-
reflected,
past participle, past
-
reflecting
present participle
-
to cast back (light, heat, sound, etc.) from a surface.
The mirror reflected the light onto the wall.
-
to give back or show an image of; mirror.
-
(of an act or its result) to serve to cast or bring (credit, discredit, etc.) on its performer.
-
to reproduce; show.
followers reflecting the views of the leader.
- Synonyms:
- manifest
-
to throw or cast back; cause to return or rebound.
Her bitterness reflects gloom on all her family.
verb (used without object)
-
reflects,
present (3rd person singular)
-
reflected,
past participle, past
-
reflecting
present participle
-
to be turned or cast back, as light.
-
to cast back light, heat, etc.
-
to be reflected or mirrored.
-
to give back or show an image.
-
to think, ponder, or meditate.
to reflect on one's virtues and faults.
- Synonyms:
- contemplate, cogitate, consider, muse, deliberate, ruminate, ponder, meditate, think
-
to serve or tend to bring reproach or discredit by association.
His crimes reflected on the whole community.
-
to serve to give a particular aspect or impression.
The test reflects well on your abilities.
verb
-
to undergo or cause to undergo a process in which light, other electromagnetic radiation, sound, particles, etc, are thrown back after impinging on a surface
-
(of a mirror, etc) to form an image of (something) by reflection
-
(tr) to show or express
his tactics reflect his desire for power
-
(tr) to bring as a consequence
the success of the project reflected great credit on all the staff
-
(intr; foll by on or upon) to cause to be regarded in a specified way
her behaviour reflects well on her
-
(intr; foll by on or upon) to cast dishonour, discredit, etc (on)
his conduct reflects on his parents
-
to think, meditate, or ponder
Synonym Usage
See study.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
reflectednessnoun
-
reflectibilitynoun
-
interreflectverb
-
misreflectverb
-
nonreflectedadjective
-
reflectibleadjective
-
well-reflectedadjective
-
reflectedlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
reflectsimple
-
reflectssimple
-
have reflectedperfect
-
has reflectedperfect
-
am reflectingprogressive
-
are reflectingprogressive
-
is reflectingprogressive
-
have been reflectingperfect progressive
-
has been reflectingperfect progressive
Past
-
reflectedsimple
-
had reflectedperfect
-
was reflectingprogressive
-
were reflectingprogressive
-
had been reflectingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of reflect
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English reflecten, from Latin reflectere “to bend back,” equivalent to re- re- + flectere “to bend”
Explanation
Something that reflects comes back to you. If you look in a mirror, you will see your reflected image. If you reflect on your past experiences, you look at them once again thoughtfully. Reflect also means to give evidence of the character or quality of something. Most parents want their children to reflect their own strengths by emulating their behavior. A set of telling statistics could reflect the buying trends in an economic cycle. Reflecting can mean seeing something original in another form or image.
Vocabulary lists containing reflect
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 3
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Instead, their sharply different temperatures support the conclusion that the chemical signals preserved in the fossils reflect genuine differences in the animals' biology.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
When it came to the kids in Doug’s class, Bonilla wanted to reflect the multicultural mosaic that is the Los Angeles Unified School District.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
"It's lucky that no one was seriously injured during this pursuit. We hope this sentence will give Roberts time to reflect on his actions."
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
Artificial intelligence has turned software development at Microsoft upside down, and the changes reflect how technology is accelerating a wholesale reconsideration of the way the entire company functions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
A new year has come and Mother says it’s time to reflect on all God has done.
From "Betty Before X" by Ilyasah Shabazz and Renée Watson
The error is barely noticeable at first, but after enough time passes, the clock no longer reflects the actual time.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
If films are a reflection of the world we live in, Mungiu’s film reflects a reality where objectivity is at risk of extinction.
From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026
“Resale itself reflects something very Californian: taking an existing behavior and using technology to fundamentally change its scale and possibilities,” said Rati Sahi Levesque, founder of the RealReal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
Crusoe’s move reflects a change in how AI companies want to access computing capacity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
Candace reflects and then shakes her head sadly.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
That pattern is reflected in the fossil record.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
"I try to put all that in there… and hope that's a universal feeling because it's really madly important to me that women, especially, watch it and see themselves reflected back."
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
As for Bloom himself, he has reflected on Brighton's 125th birthday in the programme for the Arsenal game.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
Mr. Mancall aims to show “how the territory that became America . . . reflected the experiences of millions of Indigenous women and men as well as Africans and Europeans.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
As she glanced toward Penelope, the face reflected back was not that of the dark-skinned girl.
From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland
They regarded it as reflecting a perfect divine system.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
As he prepares to retire, Bishop McKeown has been reflecting on being part of being part of important moments in history and as well as being stopped on the street for confessions.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
Richey, for example, told me he has a new title reflecting the changed environment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
“Yet, with tech’s relative valuation premium down to approximately 9%, near the lowest level of the past decade, the sector appears to be reflecting at least some of that uncertainty.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
Sitting in my office, drying my tears, reflecting on my brokenness, it seemed like a laughable notion.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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.
