Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective lustrous differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of lustrous are bright, brilliant, luminous, and radiant. While all these words mean "shining or glowing with light," lustrous stresses an even, rich light from a surface that reflects brightly without glittering.

When might bright be a better fit than lustrous?

The words bright and lustrous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, bright implies emitting or reflecting a high degree of light.

When would brilliant be a good substitute for lustrous?

While the synonyms brilliant and lustrous are close in meaning, brilliant implies intense often sparkling brightness.

When is luminous a more appropriate choice than lustrous?

The synonyms luminous and lustrous are sometimes interchangeable, but luminous implies emission of steady, suffused, glowing light by reflection or in surrounding darkness.

When could radiant be used to replace lustrous?

The words radiant and lustrous can be used in similar contexts, but radiant stresses the emission or seeming emission of rays of light.

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lustrous The Columbia boys’ hair was so lustrous and well nourished. Hilton Als, New Yorker, 30 June 2025 Olive oil was also used to help bring a lustrous shine to Roberta’s hair in the run-up to the wedding. Laura Tortora, Vogue, 22 May 2025 Large but docile eastern indigo snakes rule the forest floor, though their rosy cheeks and lustrous bodies are rarely seen. Elise Bennett, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 May 2025 The Reid Four-Light Lantern Pendant is the perfect pendant light for vaulted ceilings with its streamlined geometric silhouette, gleaming glass panels, and lustrous metal frame. Maria Conti, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for lustrous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lustrous
Adjective
  • Made with soothing, hydrating ingredients like aloe vera and vitamin E, the sunscreen lotion has a luminous finish that gives the skin a summery, just-back-from-Bondi-beach glow.
    Jenny Berg, Allure, 21 July 2025
  • Arizona's Emerald Cave, also known as Emerald Cove, shimmers with luminous green light.
    Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 17 July 2025
Adjective
  • The tool’s ability to generate 40 polished assets at once from posters to UI flows to 3D models was repeatedly cited as a key differentiator.
    Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
  • The overall aesthetic is inviting yet polished—a place where teenagers can gather after a day at the shore and grown-ups feel equally at home.
    Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 July 2025
Adjective
  • Decades later, in 2019, Irishman Shane Lowry—buoyed by a dazzling third-round 63—won his first major in runaway fashion on these same dunes, igniting a raucous celebration across the island.
    Mike Dojc, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
  • With high level visuals being a key characteristics of both Insomniac and Tomorrowland events, the production for UNITY is highly anticipated and expected to be similarly dazzling.
    Katie Bain, Billboard, 14 July 2025
Adjective
  • Attendees rode in support of and alongside community member Eva Zamora, who is a shining example of how to live your best life with Parkinson’s disease and takes cycle classes at EōS regularly, a news release stated.
    News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Apr. 2025
  • Her next shining moment comes when two young sisters enter the hospital.
    Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • There are no massive resorts or glossy beach clubs (yet), and prices are much lower.
    Jordi Lippe-McGraw, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
  • Standing out in the five-bedroom, eight-bath spread, which clocks in at 22 feet wide and 7,500 square feet across six levels, is a double-height living room boasting terracotta pavers sealed in a glossy black epoxy, a wet bar, and floor-to-ceiling industrial windows trimmed in a deep red shade.
    Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 14 July 2025
Adjective
  • For the past few months, diners at the West Loop restaurant have received their bill with a glowing portrait of Sullivan, celebrating her appearance on the show.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 22 July 2025
  • Poster Suite—the hotel’s crown jewel—dressed with a stately four-poster bed, a stylish lounge area (think long floral drapes, retro Roberts radios, regal armchairs, and historic prints of Haddon Hall), and a snug ensuite with a small bath tub and a glowing vanity mirror.
    Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
Adjective
  • If a sleeker city stay is more your speed, The Banyan Hotel (part of the Tapestry Collection by Hilton) is a great choice.
    Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 20 July 2025
  • Best Hotels & Resorts Keikyu Ex Hotel Minatomirai-Yokohama The Keikyu Ex Hotel Minatomirai-Yokohama is sleek, modern, and located along the waterfront.
    Kim Kay, Travel + Leisure, 20 July 2025
Adjective
  • Tens of millions of ash trees lost to the shiny, metallic green, half-inch insect in Michigan’s lower peninsula alone.
    Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
  • Officers tended to wave shiny new Packards through their checkpoints but halted sputtering early-model Fords pulling makeshift trailers and caked with half a continent’s dust.
    Olatunji Osho-Williams, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Lustrous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lustrous. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

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