Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Shining brightly and steadily, often with a soft or polished quality: Describes something that emits or reflects a clear, bright light, typically in a way that is attractive and clean.
   • Appearing bright and clean: Can describe something that looks very clean and shiny, as if it reflects light.

2. Noun:

   • A flash or beam of reflected light: A brief, bright appearance of light, often caused by reflection.
   • A subdued or steady shine: A soft, continuous reflective brightness.

Examples

• Adjective:
  • She polished the car until it was gleaming in the sun.
  • The knight wore gleaming silver armor.
• Noun:
  • We saw the gleaming of the lighthouse from far out at sea.
  • The only light in the dark cave was the faint gleaming from the wet walls.

Advanced Usage

• "to be gleaming with": to be shining brightly because of something, or to be very clean and bright.
  • The kitchen was gleaming with cleanliness after the deep clean.
• Used to describe abstract qualities like hope or intelligence, implying brightness and clarity.
  • His eyes were gleaming with intelligence and curiosity.

Variants and Related Words

• Gleam (verb/noun): To shine softly or to emit a flash of light. A brief or subdued shine.
  • A light gleamed in the distance. (verb)
  • There was a gleam of hope in her eyes. (noun)
• Gleamy (adjective, less common): Somewhat gleaming; shining faintly.

Synonyms

• Shining: Emitting or reflecting light.
• Glinting: Giving out or reflecting small flashes of light.
• Glistening: Shining with a sparkling light, often from being wet.
• Glittering: Shining with bright, reflected points of light.
• Lustrous: Having a soft, rich shine.

Related Phrases

• Gleam in someone's eye: A sign of a particular emotion, especially amusement, excitement, or mischief.
  • He told the plan with a mischievous gleam in his eye.

Idioms

• A gleaming example: An outstanding or perfect example of something (often positive).
  • The new community center is a gleaming example of successful urban renewal.

Adjective

1. bright with a steady but subdued shining
   • from the plane we saw the city below agleam with lights
   • the gleaming brass on the altar
   • Nereids beneath the nitid moon

Noun

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