glint

1 of 2

verb

ˈglint 

glinted; glinting; glints

intransitive verb

1

a

archaic : to glance off an object

b

of rays of light : to be reflected at an angle from a surface

2

: to give off reflection in brilliant flashes

also : gleam

3

: to look quickly or briefly : glance

4

: to appear briefly or faintly

transitive verb

: to cause to glint

glint

2 of 2

noun

1

: a tiny bright flash of light

2

: a brief or faint manifestation : glimmer

a glint of recognition

also : a trace of emotion expressed through the eyes

a steely glint in his eye

Synonyms of glint

Verb

• gleam

Choose the Right Synonym for glint

flash, gleam, glint, sparkle, glitter, glisten, glimmer, shimmer mean to send forth light.

flash implies a sudden outburst of bright light.

lightning flashed

gleam suggests a steady light seen through an obscuring medium or against a dark background.

lights gleamed in the valley

glint implies a cold glancing light.

glinting steel

sparkle suggests innumerable moving points of bright light.

the sparkling waters

glitter connotes a brilliant sparkling or gleaming.

glittering diamonds

glisten applies to the soft sparkle from a wet or oily surface.

glistening wet sidewalk

glimmer suggests a faint or wavering gleam.

a distant glimmering light

shimmer means shining with a wavering light.

a shimmering satin dress

Examples of glint in a Sentence

Verb

The sun glinted off the tops of the waves.

The waves glinted in the sunlight.

Noun

He saw glints of sunlight on the river's surface.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Researchers at the wild cat center weren't able to document him on camera again until the summer of 2025, when a camera trap turned up a shadowy picture of the jaguar, his eyes glinting in the camera’s light. — Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 5 Sep. 2026

The placement feels resonant, since Boorman was always operating between poles of glinting victory and laughable failure. — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Noun

Shelton, match point up for the biggest win of his life, ball in hand, looked up with a steely glint in his eyes. — James Hansen, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

There’s a glint of Miss Piggy’s quick wit in the comedic edge and blonde ambitions of Jennifer Coolidge. — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, to dart obliquely, glint, alteration of glenten, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Swedish dialect glänta to clear up; akin to Old High German glanz bright, Old English geolu yellow — more at yellow

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

circa 1542, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for glint

• clint
• dint
• hint
• lint
• mint
• print
• quint
• quinte
• splint
• sprint
• squint
• stint

Kids Definition

glint

verb

ˈglint

: to shine by reflection:

a

: to shine with small bright flashes

b

: to shine briefly

glint noun