lustre

/ˈlʌstə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈlʌstər/ (ame, ipa)

lustre — noun

1. the soft, gentle way that a smooth surface reflects light back, making it look p

1.名詞C1
釋義

the soft, gentle way that a smooth surface reflects light back, making it look polished and beautiful — like the glow on a pearl, on dark wooden furniture, or on freshly washed hair.

例句

Folake polished the silver teapot until it had a deep, mirror-like lustre.

deep / mirror-like + lustre — typical adjective collocations

The old oak table had lost its lustre after years of sunlight and spilled coffee.

lose its lustre — common verb collocation

同義詞
  • sheen

    very close synonym; sheen is slightly more everyday and works for softer surfaces like silk or skin

  • gleam

    more dynamic — a gleam can be a brief flash of light, while lustre is a steady quality

  • shine

    everyday word; lustre is more literary and suggests a richer, deeper quality

  • polish

    the smooth glossy finish, often the result of rubbing — strong overlap with lustre for furniture and metal

反義詞
  • dullness

    the lack of any shine on a surface

  • tarnish

    the dark, dirty layer that forms on metal and removes its lustre

文法句型

the lustre of [surface]

give/add lustre to [surface]

用法筆記

Subject is almost always a smooth, hard, or grooming-related surface (metal, wood, stone, pearls, hair, leather). Frequently appears with adjectives describing colour or depth (deep, soft, pink, golden) and with verbs of loss or restoration (lose, regain, restore, bring back).

常見錯誤

❌The sunlight had a strong lustre on the beach.
✅The sunlight made the wet sand shine.
💡lustre describes the gentle reflection ON a surface, not the brightness of the light source itself.
❌Her smile had a lustre.
✅Her hair had a healthy lustre.
💡lustre is used for physical surfaces that reflect light, not for abstract things like smiles or eyes.

2. a quality of glamour, prestige, or exciting fame that makes a person, event, or

2.名詞C2
釋義

a quality of glamour, prestige, or exciting fame that makes a person, event, or institution feel special and admired — for example, the famous-name appeal a movie star brings to a film festival, or the impressive history that makes an old university feel important.

例句

Winning the Nobel Prize added enormous lustre to the small chemistry department.

add lustre to [institution] — most common pattern

The royal wedding gave the seaside town a sudden international lustre.

give + lustre — register of prestige and fame

同義詞
  • glamour

    very close — glamour focuses on attractive, exciting appeal; lustre adds a hint of dignified prestige

  • prestige

    the respect that comes from achievement or status; more formal and less sparkly than lustre

  • distinction

    the quality of being clearly excellent or important; drier and more academic than lustre

  • renown

    wide fame; renown is the fame itself, lustre is the glow that fame creates

反義詞
  • obscurity

    being unknown and unimportant — the absence of any glamorous reputation

  • disgrace

    active loss of honour, the opposite of acquiring lustre

文法句型

add lustre to [reputation/career/event]

the lustre of [name]

lose/regain its lustre

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is metaphorical — the 'shine' is reputation or glamour, not physical reflection. Subject is typically a famous person, prize, institution, event, or career. Often paired with verbs of giving or losing (add, bring, give, lose, strip).

常見錯誤

❌The painting has a lot of lustre.' (when meaning it is valuable)
✅The painting has great prestige.
💡lustre in this sense applies to reputation and glamour, not to the cash or art value of an object.