Meaning & use
glinting
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“glinting” is a form of “glint”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbintransitive
Shining with small, quick flashes of reflected light.
Grammar: No object; the thing that shines is the subject, and it is often followed by an adverb or preposition: glinting in the sun.
Patterns
- glint in the light
- glint in someone's eyes
- glint off something
- glint with something
The wet stones were glinting in the morning sun.
A gold ring was glinting on her finger.
His glasses glinted as he turned toward the window.
adjectivebefore a noun
Shining with brief, bright flashes; giving off small points of light.
Grammar: Used before a noun to describe something that flashes: glinting metal, glinting eyes. It can also follow a linking verb: the metal was glinting.
Patterns
- glinting metal
- glinting eyes
- glinting in the sunlight
She watched the glinting surface of the lake.
He noticed a glinting coin half buried in the sand.
The glinting blade caught the stage lights.
nouncountable
A small, brief flash of light, especially one reflected off a surface.
Grammar: Countable, usually used in the pattern a glint of: a glint of light, a glint of steel.
Patterns
- a glint of light
- a glint of steel
- a glint in someone's eye
There was a glint of light from the window across the street.
I saw a glint of amusement in his eye.
A glint of silver showed where the river curved.
Word forms
| base form | glint |
|---|---|
| third person singular | glints |
| past tense | glinted |
| past participle | glinted |
| -ing form | glinting |
Common combinations
- glinting in the sunlight
- The windows were glinting in the sunlight.
- glinting eyes
- He looked at me with glinting eyes.
- glinting metal
- A piece of glinting metal lay on the path.
- a glint of light
- A glint of light came through the curtains.
- a glint of steel
- There was a glint of steel as he drew the knife.
Synonyms and how they differ
- shining
- Shining is more general and suggests a steady brightness; glinting suggests quick, small flashes.
- sparkling
- Sparkling often describes many bright points, as in sparkling water or stars, while glinting is usually about a single surface catching light.
- gleaming
- Gleaming suggests a smooth, clean surface giving off a steady soft light, whereas glinting is sharper and more momentary.
- flashing
- Flashing means bright light appearing and disappearing quickly, often stronger than a glint.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: glinting or glittering? glinting or glinting vs. glancing?
glinting vs glittering
Glittering means shining with many tiny bright points, like sequins or frost; glinting is usually a few quick flashes from one surface.
glinting vs glinting vs. glancing
Glancing means looking quickly at something; glinting is about light, not eyes looking.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'glinting' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Glinting' describes light flashing off a surface, so 'The lake was glinting in the afternoon sun' fits. Option 0 confuses it with 'glancing' (looking quickly), and options 2 and 3 wrongly use it as a transitive verb with an object.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “glinting”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.