Meaning & use
reflect
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Meanings
verbintransitive
To think carefully and quietly about an experience, idea, decision, or possible result.
Grammar: No object; usually reflect on or upon something, not reflect something in this sense.
Patterns
- reflect on something
- reflect upon something
- reflect that clause
Take time to reflect before answering.
She reflected on how much she had learned.
He reflected that the risk was too high.
verbtransitivephysics
To send light, sound, or heat back from a surface instead of letting it pass through or be absorbed.
Grammar: Takes an object: reflect light; unlike the thinking sense, no on is needed.
Patterns
- reflect light
- reflect sound
- reflect heat
A mirror reflects most visible light.
Thick curtains reflect some heat back into the room.
The canyon walls reflect sound and make voices echo.
verbtransitive
To show an image of a person or thing on a surface such as water, glass, or polished metal.
Grammar: Takes an object: the lake reflected the hills; often used in the passive too.
Patterns
- reflect someone in something
- reflect something on water
- be reflected in something
The window reflected her face in the evening light.
Moonlight was reflected in the still pond.
Shop windows reflected the crowd across the street.
verbtransitivefigurative
To show, express, or be a sign of a quality, feeling, situation, or belief.
Grammar: Takes an object: reflect public concern; compare be reflected in for results or effects.
Patterns
- reflect a change
- reflect public opinion
- be reflected in something
The report reflects a shift in public opinion.
Her calm voice reflected years of practice.
Poor sales were reflected in the company's budget cuts.
Word forms
| third person singular | reflects |
|---|---|
| past tense | reflected |
| past participle | reflected |
| -ing form | reflecting |
Common combinations
- reflect on the past
- On quiet mornings he reflects on the past.
- reflect light
- White surfaces reflect light well.
- reflect badly on someone
- The mistake reflected badly on the whole team.
- time to reflect
- After exams, students need time to reflect.
Synonyms and how they differ
- consider
- Consider means think about deliberately; reflect adds a slower, more personal looking back or inward thought.
- mirror
- Mirror suggests copying an image or quality closely, while reflect can mean simply showing or expressing it.
- ponder
- Ponder is literary and means weigh an idea slowly; reflect is more common and often pairs with on.
Opposites
Word family
- reflection noun
- an image in a surface; also careful thought.
- reflective adjective
- able to reflect light; also thoughtful.
- reflector noun
- a surface or device that sends light back.
- reflectively adverb
- in a thoughtful way, or in a way that reflects light.
Commonly confused: reflect or deflect?
reflect vs deflect
Deflect means turn something aside from its path, while reflect means send it back from a surface or show thought.
Practice
Which sentence uses reflect in the careful-thinking sense?
Choose one answer.
Reflect on means think carefully. The other sentences use physical senses: sending back heat or showing an image.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “reflect”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.