1
a
: a transient appearance of subdued or partly obscured light
the gleam of dawn in the east
b(1)
: a small bright light
the gleam of a match
(2)
: glint
a gleam in his eyes
2
: a brief or faint appearance
a gleam of hope
gleamed; gleaming; gleams
1
: to shine with or as if with subdued steady light or moderate brightness
2
: to appear briefly or faintly
a light gleamed in the distance
: to cause to gleam
Synonyms
Examples of gleam in a Sentence
Noun
He saw the gleam of a flashlight in the distance.
the rich gleam of the polished wood
Verb
The sun gleamed on the water.
His eyes were gleaming with delight.
Recent Examples on the Web
Domenica Bongiovanni, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Nov. 2024
Indeed, what’s not to love about a product that makes the hair gleam while flooding it with nutrients?
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 1 Nov. 2024
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
Find it on Amazon Clean Effortlessly with This High-Power Electric Mop
Achieve gleaming floors with ease using the electric mop.
—Mia Meltzer, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gleam 
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Noun
Tlingit artist Preston Singletary has fashioned the tale's imagery into artworks made of multicolored glass — glass that's been blown, sculpted, sand-carved and arranged under the lights so that the pieces often appear to glow and gleam.
—Domenica Bongiovanni, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Nov. 2024
Indeed, what’s not to love about a product that makes the hair gleam while flooding it with nutrients?
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 1 Nov. 2024
Verb
He’s best associated with the gleaming, lush sound of jazz and pop in the ’70s and ’80s, as most famously heard on Michael Jackson’s albums Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
Find it on Amazon Clean Effortlessly with This High-Power Electric Mop
Achieve gleaming floors with ease using the electric mop.
—Mia Meltzer, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gleam
Dictionary Entries Near gleam
Cite this Entry
“Gleam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gleam. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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