agleam

8.0

Shining with a soft steady light

adjective
/əˈɡliːm/

Literature

: brillante

Her smile was agleam with happiness as she opened the gift.

Examples

Kishote laughed, eyes agleam with triumph, and trotted off.

Fiction book (1993)
But the eyes—all her energy banked there, green, alive, wet, agleam with sun.

Fiction book (1997)
The jewels sparkled agleam in the soft candlelight.
The wet grass glistened agleam in the early morning sun.

Synonyms

aglow

vsagleam

7 5.5

Lit with a soft warm light or showing happiness

is steadier and more subdued in brightness than a warm radiant light

aglow with

vsagleam

1 6.4

Showing bright light or a strong feeling

focuses on actual steady soft physical brightness, not just emotional radiance

nitid

vsagleam

Archaic

9.9

A smooth surface that shines softly, like polished silver

has a steady soft glow rather than a polished surface focus

gleaming

vsagleam

3.2

Shining with a bright, smooth surface like shiny metal

has softer, more subdued steady brightness rather than high gloss

gleamy

vsagleam

4.2

A smooth shiny surface that reflects light

leans to a steady soft subdued shine rather than variable brightness

glistening

vsagleam

3.4

Shining with bright light, often because it is wet or smooth

expresses a steady soft glow rather than bright reflected sparkle

Antonyms

dim

62 1.0

Not bright and having only a little light

dull

31 1.0

Not bright or shiny with weak colour

How Bright

dazzling

39 3.9

aglitter

Literature

8.1

aglow

7 5.5

agleam

Literature

8.0

faint

148 2.7

Surface Forms

agleam positive

Morphology

agleam = gleam (semi-transparent) = a + gleam

The connection to 'gleam' is clear, but the prefix 'a-' is archaic and not a productive pattern for most learners.

Etymology

Agleam comes from the small word gleam, which means 'a soft or steady light', and the little a- part gives the sense 'in' or 'on'. So, agleam is like being 'in a gleam' — shining softly or glowing with a steady brightness.