Definition

1. Noun:

   • A brief or faint flash of light: A "gleam" is a small, often brief, amount of light, typically one that is reflected or shines softly.
   • A faint or brief sign or indication: "Gleam" can also refer to a small, often hopeful, sign of something, such as an emotion or quality.

2. Verb:

   • To shine with a soft, reflected, or brief light: To emit a faint, often unsteady light.
   • To appear briefly or suddenly: To be expressed or become visible for a short moment, often referring to an emotion or thought in someone's eyes or expression.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • We saw the gleam of a distant lighthouse through the fog.
  • There was a gleam of mischief in his eyes.
  • The report offered a gleam of hope for the future.

• Verb:

  • The polished silverware gleamed in the candlelight.
  • A terrible thought gleamed in her mind.
  • His eyes gleamed with excitement as he told the story.

Advanced Usage

• "a gleam in someone's eye": A sign of a particular emotion or intention in someone's expression.
  • She listened with a gleam of amusement in her eye.
• "to gleam with something": To shine because of a quality like cleanliness or wetness, or to show an emotion.
  • The marble floor gleamed with a high polish.
  • His face gleamed with sweat after the workout.

Variants and Related Words

• Gleaming (adj): Shining brightly with reflected light.
  • The gleaming chrome on the classic car.
• Gleamy (adj): (Less common) Shining with gleams; glimmering.

Synonyms

• Noun: Glimmer, glint, flicker, spark, ray.
• Verb: Glint, glisten, glitter, shine, sparkle.

Related Phrasal Verbs/Constructions

(Note: "Gleam" is not commonly used in phrasal verb constructions. Its meaning is typically expressed directly.)

Related Idioms

• Not a gleam of hope: No hope at all.
  • After the accident, there was not a gleam of hope for finding survivors.
• The gleam of battle: A fierce or determined look in someone's eyes.
  • The general surveyed the field with the gleam of battle in his eyes.

Noun

1. a flash of light (especially reflected light)
2. an appearance of reflected light

Verb

1. appear briefly
   • A terrible thought gleamed in her mind
2. shine brightly, like a star or a light
3. be shiny, as if wet
   • His eyes were glistening