glistening

adjective

glis·​ten·​ing ˈgli-sᵊn-iŋ How to pronounce glistening (audio)
Synonyms of glisteningnext
: shining with reflected light
a damp, glistening surface
… a wonderland of glistening, shallow lakes of rainwater …Joseph Judge
The boatman was a tiny man with glistening brown skin and an almost circular mouth.Bruce Chatwin
… contrasting dark surfaces with glistening decorative details.Architectural Digest
Monroe County will always be unique because it is a collection of little tropical islands sprinkled across the glistening waters off the southern tip of the peninsula.George Laycock
glisteningly adverb
The cup across from her was icily clean, glisteningly empty. Sinclair Lewis

Examples of glistening in a Sentence

a glistening marble table top
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
My colleagues, meanwhile, used forceps to pick glistening scale worms and peanut worms from the rocks. Jeffrey Marlow, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026 All of whom were mesmerized by her glistening skin and deeply sensual eyes, which often require nothing but black mascara. Essence, 1 Apr. 2026 This time, my eyes slid to the fresh silver polish on her fingernails, her cascading perm thick but without any undergrowth, and those eyes darting from me to the cop, glistening as if on the verge of pouring. Literary Hub, 27 Mar. 2026 The velvet number had glistening golden fringe on the skirt. Juliana Ukiomogbe, InStyle, 16 Mar. 2026 The former fake hotel is now full of glistening bronze pipes, a retro futurist look that former Imagineer Joe Rohde, who led the design, has said takes influence from the high-tech aesthetic of architect Renzo Piano, who worked on France’s Pompidou Centre. Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026 And all of those figures will move together into a new glistening practice facility before training camp begins. Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026 Directed by Jerry Morka, the video finds BigX and company rolling out old-school automobiles dipped in candy paint with glistening rims, staying true to the Texan tradition of always doing it big. Preezy Brown, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2026 Then they were scooped from the pot and set on a plate to rest, glistening and congealed, revealing the color of the filling within. Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 26 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of glistening was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Glistening.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glistening. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.

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