lustre

American  

[luhs-ter] / ˈlʌs tər /

noun

lustred, lustring

1. Chiefly British. a variant of luster.

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lustre British  

/ ˈlʌstə /

noun

1. reflected light; sheen; gloss

2. radiance or brilliance of light

3. great splendour of accomplishment, beauty, etc

4. a substance used to polish or put a gloss on a surface

5. a vase or chandelier from which hang cut-glass drops

6. a drop-shaped piece of cut glass or crystal used as a decoration on a chandelier, vase, etc

7. 1. a shiny metallic surface on some pottery and porcelain

   2. ( as modifier )

      lustre decoration

8. mineralogy the way in which light is reflected from the surface of a mineral. It is one of the properties by which minerals are defined

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verb

1. to make, be, or become lustrous

Other Word Forms

• lustreless adjective
• lustrous adjective

Etymology

Origin of lustre

C16: from Old French, from Old Italian lustro, from Latin lustrāre to make bright; related to _lustrum

Example Sentences

The EFL Cup does not carry the same lustre as the Champions League or Premier League, but Guardiola did not care about that as he basked in his latest success.

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026

Versace's lustre had been waning in recent years, unlike that of the Prada Group, which is in robust health, fuelled by strong sales of its younger Miu Miu Line.

From Barron's • Dec. 2, 2025

"WTI has been the belle of the ball, but today it's losing its lustre," said John Kilduff, partner at Again Capital LLC in New York, citing profit taking and economic concerns.

From Reuters • Sep. 29, 2023

As the promotion parties commence under the spotlight of the world's media, the Hollywood razzmatazz shows no sign of losing its lustre.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2023

Richard Parker’s fur lost its lustre, and some of it even fell away from his shoulders and haunches.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel