Gleam vs. Glimmer: What's the Difference?
Gleam and Glimmer Definitions
Gleam
A brief beam or flash of light
Saw gleams of daylight through the cracks.
Glimmer
A dim or intermittent flicker or flash of light.
Gleam
A steady but subdued shining; a glow
The gleam of burnished gold.
Glimmer
A faint manifestation or indication; a trace
A glimmer of understanding.
Gleam
A brief or dim indication; a trace
A gleam of intelligence.
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Glimmer
To emit a dim, intermittent light
"The ocean glimmered on her left like an iridescent pewter bowl" (Elizabeth Adler).
Gleam
To emit a gleam; flash or glow
"Their tile roofs gleamed in the moon's pallid radiance" (Laura Joh Rowland).
Glimmer
To be reflected in dim, intermittent flashes
"Starlight glimmered on rusty metal" (David Drake).
Gleam
To be reflected as a gleam
The sun gleamed on the water.
Glimmer
To appear faintly or indistinctly
Hope still glimmered in our minds.
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Gleam
To be manifested or indicated briefly or faintly.
Glimmer
A faint light; a dim glow.
The glimmer of the fireflies was pleasant to watch.
Gleam
(countable) An appearance of light, especially one which is indistinct or small, or short-lived.
Glimmer
A flash of light.
Gleam
An indistinct sign of something; a glimpse or hint.
The rescue workers preserved a gleam of optimism that the trapped miners might still survive.
Glimmer
A faint or remote possibility.
A glimmer of hope
Gleam
A bright, but intermittent or short-lived, appearance of something.
Glimmer
Mica.
Gleam
A look of joy or liveliness on one's face.
Glimmer
(intransitive) To shine with a faint, unsteady light.
The fireflies glimmered in the dark.
The glimmering dawn; a glimmering lamp
Gleam
(obsolete)
Glimmer
To give feeble or scattered rays of light; to shine faintly; to show a faint, unsteady light; as, the glimmering dawn; a glimmering lamp.
The west yet glimmers with some streaks of day.
Gleam
(countable) Sometimes as hot gleam: a warm ray of sunlight; also, a period of warm weather, for instance, between showers of rain.
Glimmer
A faint, unsteady light; feeble, scattered rays of light; also, a gleam.
Gloss of satin and glimmer of pearls.
Gleam
(uncountable) Brightness or shininess; radiance, splendour.
Glimmer
Mica. See Mica.
Gleam
(transitive) Chiefly in conjunction with an adverb: to cause (light) to shine.
Glimmer
A flash of light (especially reflected light)
Gleam
(intransitive)
Glimmer
A slight suggestion or vague understanding;
He had no inkling what was about to happen
Gleam
To shine, especially in an indistinct or intermittent manner; to glisten, to glitter.
Glimmer
Shine brightly, like a star or a light
Gleam
(figuratively) To be strongly but briefly apparent.
Gleam
Of a hawk or other bird of prey: to disgorge filth from its crop or gorge.
Gleam
To disgorge filth, as a hawk.
Gleam
To shoot, or dart, as rays of light; as, at the dawn, light gleams in the east.
Gleam
To shine; to cast light; to glitter.
Gleam
To shoot out (flashes of light, etc.).
Dying eyes gleamed forth their ashy lights.
Gleam
A shoot of light; a small stream of light; a beam; a ray; a glimpse.
Transient unexpected gleams of joi.
At last a gleamOf dawning light turned thitherward in hasteHis [Satan's] traveled steps.
A glimmer, and then a gleam of light.
Gleam
Brightness; splendor.
In the clear azure gleam the flocks are seen.
Gleam
An appearance of reflected light
Gleam
A flash of light (especially reflected light)
Gleam
Be shiny, as if wet;
His eyes were glistening
Gleam
Shine brightly, like a star or a light
Gleam
Appear briefly;
A terrible thought gleamed in her mind
