What does "luster" mean?
The ability or condition of shining with reflected light; sheen, gleam, gloss, sparkle, shine, etc.
Luster
/ˈlʌstɚ/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The ability or condition of shining with reflected light; sheen, gleam, gloss, sparkle, shine, etc.
- Grammar: luster is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: sheen, abundant year, academic year, afterglow.
- Useful contrasts: deteriorations, disrepute, dullness.
- Usage evidence: Our cat's fur has lost its luster.
How to use "luster"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "luster" 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 "luster" 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 "luster" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "luster" 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 "luster" is acting as name, 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 "sheen" 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 "luster", 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 The ability or condition of shining with reflected light; sheen, gleam, gloss, sparkle, shine, etc. US, countable, uncountable
"metallic luster"
- 2 Alternative form of lustrum: A five-year period, especially (historical) in Roman contexts. US, alt-of, alternative
"...thritty yere of vj. lustres..."
- 3 One who lusts, one inflamed with lust. US, archaic
"Eumenides But did neuer any Louers come hether?"
- 4 Synonym of den: a dwelling-place in a wilderness, especially for animals. US, obsolete
"...But, turning to his luster, Calues and Dam, He shewes abhorr'd death, in his angers flame..."
- 5 a surface coating for ceramics or porcelain wordnet
Show 15 more definitions
- 6 The ability or condition of shining with reflected light; sheen, gleam, gloss, sparkle, shine, etc.; The way in which the surface of any particular type of mineral reflects light differently from other minerals, which is helpful in telling minerals apart. US, countable, uncountable
"By the luster or glance of a mineral is meant the quantity and quality of light reflected by it, as determined by the character or minute structure of its surface. […] The two principal kinds of luster are the metallic and non-metallic. […] The adamantine luster is intermediate between the metallic and non-metallic lusters. […] The vitreous is the luster of glass, and of all minerals similar to glass in appearance, such as quartz, calcite, etc. The resinous luster is seen in resins, of which the native mineral copalite is an example; it is also well exhibited in sulphur and sphalerite. The pearly luster, i.e., the luster of pearl, is well shown only in minerals having a foliated or scaly structure, in other words, very perfect cleavage in one direction, such as talc, mica, and gypsum. The silky or satiny luster, like the pearly, is determined by the structure, being observed only in finely fibrous minerals. […] The greasy and waxy lusters are most common in certain amorphous minerals, such as serpentine."
- 7 the visual property of something that shines with reflected light wordnet
- 8 Shining light from within, luminosity, brightness, shine. US, countable, figuratively, uncountable
"the sun’s luster"
- 9 a quality that outshines the usual wordnet
- 10 Shining beauty, splendor, attractiveness or attraction. US, countable, figuratively, uncountable
"How does the Luſtre of our Father’s Actions, Through the dark Cloud of Ills that cover him, Break out, and burn with more triumphant Brightneſs!"
- 11 Shining fame, renown, glory. US, countable, figuratively, uncountable
"After the scandal, the idol lost his luster and could only get work in Vegas."
- 12 Polish, social refinement. US, countable, figuratively, uncountable
"Sure, the posh git spoke with fine lustre. ’S all a load of bollocks, though, innit?"
- 13 A thing exhibiting luster, particularly; Any shining body or thing. US, countable, literary, uncountable
- 14 A thing exhibiting luster, particularly; A piece of glass added to a light (especially a chandelier) to increase its luster. US, countable, uncountable
"Each mortal has his pleasure: none deny Scarsdale his bottle, Darty his ham-pie; Ridotta sips and dances, till she see The doubling lustres dance as fast as she;"
- 15 A thing exhibiting luster, particularly; An ornamental light providing luster, especially a chandelier. US, countable, uncountable
"The immense room was carpeted, the walls were covered with eighteenth-century panelling, and three electric lustres hung from the ceiling."
- 16 A thing exhibiting luster, particularly; A substance that imparts luster to a surface, such as polish, gloss, plumbago, glaze, etc. US, countable, uncountable
"Gabriel coloured as if he felt he had made a mistake and, without looking at her, kicked off his goloshes and flicked actively with his muffler at his patent-leather shoes. […] When he had flicked lustre into his shoes he stood up and pulled his waistcoat down more tightly on his plump body."
- 17 A thing exhibiting luster, particularly; The layer of an object that imparts luster, chiefly with regard to ceramics. US, countable, uncountable
- 18 A thing exhibiting luster, particularly; Clipping of lusterware: highly lustrous ceramics. US, abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, countable, uncountable
"The whole place was covered with fragments of pottery, mostly very rough, and difficult to identify as to date. Two small lustre shards belong to the ninth or tenth century and a green glaze resembles the output of the kilns found by Sir Aurel Stein on the coast of Makran."
- 19 A thing exhibiting luster, particularly; A kind of lustrous fabric with a wool weft and cotton, linen, or silk warp, chiefly used for women's dresses. US, countable, uncountable
"Mrs. McLash was dressed for travelling. She wore a black lustre skirt that just exposed her broken button-boots […]"
- 20 A thing exhibiting luster, particularly; A glory, an act or thing that imparts fame or renown. US, countable, obsolete, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To have luster, to gleam, to shine. US, archaic, intransitive
"What bloom, what brightness lusters o’er her cheeks!"
- 2 To gain luster, to become lustrous. US, archaic, intransitive
- 3 To give luster, particularly; To make illustrious or attractive, to distinguish. US, obsolete, transitive
"Our Puritans have from hence learned to colour and lustre their ugly Treasons... with the cloake of Religion."
- 4 To give luster, particularly; To coat with a lustrous material or glaze, to impart physical luster to an object. US, transitive
"Peter and Mania found a pensione whose view was of chestnut woods and a horizon looped by peaks lustred with last winter’s snow, distant in time as well as space."
- 5 To shed light on, to illustrate, to show. US, obsolete, transitive
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 Synonym of lustrate, particularly; Synonym of purify, to ritually cleanse or renew. US, obsolete, transitive
- 7 Synonym of lustrate, particularly; Synonym of look, to look over, to survey. US, obsolete, transitive
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname from German.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Our cat's fur has lost its luster."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "luster"?
Common synonyms include: sheen, abundant year, academic year, afterglow, air glow, annum.
How do you use "luster" in a sentence?
Our cat's fur has lost its luster.
How do you pronounce "luster"?
Pronounced /ˈlʌstɚ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle French lustre, from Old Italian lustro, from Old Italian lustrare (“brighten”), from Latin lūstrō (“to purify, to brighten”), from Latin lūstrum (“purification ritual”).
Etymology 2
From Middle English lustre, from Latin lustrum, from Old Latin *loustrom, of uncertain origin. More at lustrum.
Etymology 3
From lust + -er.
Etymology 4
From Latin lustra (“wilds, woods”).
Etymology 5
Borrowed from German Luster or, possibly, a variant of Lester.