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Glite Dictionary
to gleam off

to gleam off

1 4.1
To shine brightly when light bounces off a surface
  • phrasal verb
: reflejarse
  • She found herself staring at him, not wanting to really, but still she stared, watching him bend over, then straighten and stretch, his body strong and powerful, the sweat gleaming off his flesh beneath the afternoon sun.
  • sunlight gleams off
  • the sun gleams off
  • light gleamed off

Examples

  • Across the avenue, bodies glided, streetlight gleamed off the ice at Curtis Park.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • The light from the ceiling gleamed off her salt-and-pepper hair.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • The vast plain below rippled green in the breeze, and the towers gleamed off in the distance.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • Out my window, in the park, leaves shimmered slightly, and street lights gleamed off the back of Peter Stuyvesant's statue.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • Possibly she'd seen a transitory gleam off a sheet of transpex or polished.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • The pale, fitful sun gleamed off the gilded dome topping Phos' temple ahead.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • The sunlight gleamed off the polished surface of the table.

  • Bright stars gleamed off the smooth waters of the lake.

  • The headlights of the car gleamed off the wet pavement after the rain.

Synonyms

to shine
vsto gleam off
409 1.0

To send out or reflect light and look bright

focuses on bright reflection from a surface rather than general shining
to shimmer
vsto gleam off
59 4.3

To shine with a soft, slightly moving light

is a steady bright reflection rather than a wavering glow
to sparkle
vsto gleam off
33 1.0

To shine with small bright flashes of light

is a steady bright reflection rather than repeated flashing points
to glisten
vsto gleam off
32 4.1

Shine with a soft light, like when wet or polished

is a bright reflection without the wet or polished appearance
to gleam
vsto gleam off
31 1.9

To shine softly, often on a smooth or wet surface

is reflected brightly from a surface
to glitter
vsto gleam off
25 1.3

To shine with many small bright points of light on something

is a single bright reflection rather than many shimmering points
to flare
vsto gleam off
20 4.2

To burn or shine with a sudden bright light

is a reflected bright light from a surface rather than burning light
to glint
vsto gleam off
17 3.9

To shine briefly with a small flash as light bounces off something

lasts as a clear bright reflection rather than a quick flash
to glimmer
vsto gleam off
11 3.9

To shine with a weak, unsteady light

is a bright clear reflection rather than a faint unsteady glow
to glare
vsto gleam off
3 3.3

To shine with a bright, harsh light that hurts your eyes

is a bright reflection without the harsh or dazzling quality
to coruscate
vsto gleam off
  • Literature
1 9.9

To flash or sparkle with bright light

is a consistent bright surface reflection rather than sudden beams
to glister
vsto gleam off
  • Archaic
1 8.8

To shine with small bright flashes

is a steady bright reflection rather than many small sparks

Antonyms

to absorb
315 3.0

To take in things such as liquid, light, or information

How Bright

to glare
3 3.3
to gleam off
1 4.1
to glint
17 3.9

Surface Forms

gleam off infinitive
gleamed off past
gleamed off past participle
gleaming off present participle
gleams off third person singular

Morphology

gleam + off

The meaning 'to be reflected brightly from a surface' is directly derivable from 'gleam' (to shine/reflect light) combined with the directional particle 'off' indicating movement away from a surface. This verb+particle composition follows a common, cross-linguistic pattern and is predictable for a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

Gleam off comes from a simple picture: light hits a shiny thing, the light gleams and bounces off it. So gleam off means 'to be reflected brightly'.