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gloss

verb · noun

Simple meaning

Give a shine or gloss to, usually by rubbing.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

glaws
US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈɡlɔs

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

verb

  1. Give a shine or gloss to, usually by rubbing

  2. transitive

    To give a gloss or sheen to.

  3. intransitive

    To become shiny.

  4. transitive

    To make (something) attractive by deception

  5. transitive

    To add a gloss to (a text).

noun

  1. A surface shine or luster.

  2. figuratively

    A superficially or deceptively attractive appearance.

  3. countable

    An extensive commentary on some text.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
B2 · Upper Intermediate (estimated)
Frequency
Moderately Common
Typical Use
Neutral / general English

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

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More ways to use gloss

  • “She applied a layer of clear gloss to her lips for a shiny finish.”

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Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

lip glosssurface gloss

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Similar Words, What’s the Difference?

Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.

  • burnish

    To make (something, such as a surface) bright, shiny, and smooth by, or (by extension) as if by, rubbing.

  • polish

    To shine; to make a surface very smooth or shiny by rubbing, cleaning, or grinding.

  • color

    To give something color.

Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

  • gloss oververbCompound term

    Treat hurriedly or avoid dealing with properly.

More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Synonyms

Sense: give a shine or gloss to

polishburnishRare

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.