Words / B2

GLEEM/ɡliːm/

A gleam is a small, often brief, bright light; as a verb, to shine that way: a gleam of light; gleam with. Glow is steadier; glint is a quick flash. A gleam of hope is a sudden small sign of something better. Mix-up: glean (to collect leftover grain or facts); cream. Do not write gleam for a floodlight that fills the whole pitch.

Meaning

A small, often brief, bright light; as a verb, to shine that way; also a sudden sign of a feeling (a gleam of hope).

Examples

• “A gleam of light in the shaft featured in the mine inquiry, not a toothpaste slogan.”
• “A gleam of hope featured in the rescue update, which is the figurative sense.”

Good to know

a gleam of light / hope; gleam with. Steadier: glow. Quick: glint. Trap: glean. Literature, news, and science. A small bright light, or a brief sign of a feeling.

Near in meaning

glint, shimmer, twinkle

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