What does gleam mean?
Word: Gleam
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Gleam means to give out a soft, bright light, often by reflecting it. A gleam is a small flash of light.
Synonyms: glow, glint, sparkle
How do you spell gleam?
Syllables: gleam
Tricky part: The long e sound is spelt ea, as in team. Gleme and gliem are slips to avoid.
Watch out for: gleme, gliem, gleame
Memory tip: When the sea gleams in the sun, the two words share their ea: gl, then the ea of sea, then m.
Idioms and Phrases
- a gleam in someone's eye: A look that shows someone is excited about a plan or idea. Example: "Grandpa had a gleam in his eye as he talked about our trip to the hills."
Gleam in a sentence
Example 1: The brass lamps gleamed after Mum polished them for the party.
Example 2: A gleam of sunlight came through the curtains.
Example 3: The new bicycle gleamed in the shop window.
Fun Fact
Cats' eyes gleam in the dark because a mirror-like layer at the back of the eye, called the tapetum lucidum, bounces light back out.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word:
gleam
a) blur
b) fade
c) darken
d) shine
Show answer
d) shine. Something that gleams is shining; fading and darkening are the reverse.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
malge
a) glare
b) mangle
c) eagle
d) gleam
Show answer
d) gleam. Five letters with an m and no n or r: gleam.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the correctly spelt word:
a) gleam
b) gliter
c) sparkel
d) shimer
Show answer
a) gleam. Sparkle, glitter and shimmer are the right forms.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
The wet pebbles gleam in the sunlite by the river.
a) gleam
b) pebbles
c) sunlite
d) river
Show answer
c) sunlite. Sunlight ends with light, spelt igh.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What would gleam in the sun?
a) a woollen sock
b) a polished spoon
c) a lump of clay
d) a paper bag
Show answer
b) a polished spoon
2. A gleam of hope is ____.
a) a sudden loss of courage
b) a strong feeling of anger
c) a small sign of hope
d) a long spell of sadness
Show answer
c) a small sign of hope
