What does "glint" mean?
A short flash of light, usually when reflected off a shiny surface.
Glint
/ɡlɪnt/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A short flash of light, usually when reflected off a shiny surface.
- Grammar: glint is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: aflicker, afterglow, air glow, be bright.
- Useful contrasts: concealment, darken, darkness.
- Usage evidence: And now I neared the gates, and thought my flight / achieved, when suddenly a noise we hear / of trampling feet, and, peering through the night, / my father cries, "Fly, son, the Greeks are near; / they come, I see the glint of shield and spear, / fierce foes in front and flashing arms behind."
How to use "glint"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "glint" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "glint" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "glint" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "glint" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "glint" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "aflicker" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "glint", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A short flash of light, usually when reflected off a shiny surface.
"I saw the glint of metal as he raised the gun."
- 2 a spatially localized brightness wordnet
- 3 A brief look; a glance. obsolete
""My name is Elphinstone, ma'am," said the young man, and then he cleared his throat and gave a glint at Mary, and grew redder in the face than ever."
- 4 a momentary flash of light wordnet
Verb
- 1 To flash or gleam briefly. intransitive
"A wedding ring glinted on her finger."
- 2 be shiny, as if wet wordnet
- 3 To glance; to peep forth, as a flower from the bud; to glitter. intransitive, uncommon
"The rising sun owre Galston muirs, / Wi' glorious light was glintin'"
- 4 throw a glance at; take a brief look at wordnet
- 5 To cause to flash or gleam; to reflect. transitive
"The scientists theorized that a meteoroid, ranging in size from a speck of dust to a marble, might have struck the satellite and chipped off a bit of debris that glinted a ray of sun back on the Vela's second sensor […]"
Show 1 more definition
- 6 To dry; to wither. Shropshire, archaic, transitive
"The sun glints grass and corn."
Adjective
- 1 Not sharp; dull. Shropshire, archaic
"The knife is glint."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"And now I neared the gates, and thought my flight / achieved, when suddenly a noise we hear / of trampling feet, and, peering through the night, / my father cries, "Fly, son, the Greeks are near; / they come, I see the glint of shield and spear, / fierce foes in front and flashing arms behind.""
Common questions
What is a synonym for "glint"?
Common synonyms include: aflicker, afterglow, air glow, be bright, beacon, beam.
How do you use "glint" in a sentence?
And now I neared the gates, and thought my flight / achieved, when suddenly a noise we hear / of trampling feet, and, peering through the night, / my father cries, "Fly, son, the Greeks are near; / they come, I see the glint of shield and spear, / fierce foes in front and flashing arms behind."
How do you pronounce "glint"?
Pronounced /ɡlɪnt/.
Etymology
15th century. Borrowed from Scots glint, from Middle English glenten (“to shine, gleam; flash”), probably from Old Norse *glenta, from Proto-Germanic *glantijaną, causitive of Proto-Germanic *glintaną (“to gleam, shine”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰley- (“to shine”). Cognate with Danish glente, Swedish glänta, Norwegian Nynorsk gletta (“to peep, look”), Middle High German glinzen; compare also Swedish glinta (“to slip, slide, gleam, shine”), Swedish glimt (“flash, glint, glimpse”), Norwegian Nynorsk glanta, gletta (“to glide, slip”). Reintroduced into literary English by Robert Burns.