5 meanings
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1 —as in:
reflect in the mirror
Definition
show an image back (on a mirror or other shiny surface)- She saw her face reflected in his sunglasses.
reflected = shown back
Other Uses (with this meaning)
- The pond reflected her image.
- Why is the writing on my t-shirt backwards when its reflected in a mirror?
- Slowly his eyes opened, and he looked at the sky reflecting in the water.Ben Mikaeslen -- Touching Spirit Bear
- She didn't want to see herself reflected in his dark glasses.Kate DiCamillo -- Flora & Ulysses
- Harry could see himself reflected in those misty eyes.J.K. Rowling -- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
- I startle when I catch someone staring at me from only a few inches away and then realize it's my own face reflecting back in the glass.Suzanne Collins -- The Hunger Games
- And the people listened, and their quiet eyes reflected the dying fire.John Steinbeck -- The Grapes of Wrath
- He stood up and scrutinized himself anxiously in the glass. The face reflected there was of a slightly military cast with a moustache.Agatha Christie -- And Then There Were None
- Harry sat up and examined the jagged piece on which he had cut himself, seeing nothing but his own bright green eye reflected back at him.J.K. Rowling -- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
reflected = showed back
reflected = shown back
reflecting = showing back an image (as on a mirror or shiny surface)
reflected = shown back
reflected = shown back
reflecting = showing back
reflected = showed
reflected = shown (back)
reflected = shown (back)
2 —as in:
reflect American Values
Definition
represent, demonstrate, or express- Which choice best reflects the overall sequence of events in the passage?
reflects = expresses
Other Uses (with this meaning)
- The author used gloomy weather to help reflect a depressing situation.
- The restaurant's success reflects desire in the community to eat healthy food.
- Her premature death reflects a broken health care system.
- We want the members of our police force to reflect the diversity of our community.
- Those skinny models don't reflect the customers who purchase our clothing.
- Harry looked at Ron and Hermione; their expressions reflected the mingled shock and gratitude he felt.J.K. Rowling -- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
- As you know, it's customary to reflect the flavor of the district. For the opening ceremonies, you're supposed to wear something that suggests your district's principal industry.Suzanne Collins -- The Hunger Games
- Atticus was feeble: he was nearly fifty. When Jem and I asked him why he was so old, he said he got started late, which we felt reflected upon his abilities and manliness.Harper Lee -- To Kill a Mockingbird
- Harry looked up and saw his own shock reflected in Ron's and Hermione's faces.J.K. Rowling -- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
reflect = express
reflects = demonstrates
reflects = demonstrates or represents
reflect = represent
reflect = represent
reflected = expressed
reflect = represent, demonstrate, or express
reflected = showed or demonstrated
3 —as in:
I want to reflect on it.
Definition
think carefully — possibly aloud or in writing- At the beginning of this passage, the author reflects on her life as a waitress.
reflects = thinks carefully
Other Uses (with this meaning)
- As I reflect on my life, I realize that it's relationships that matter most.
- I need more time to reflect.
- I've led a hectic life, but when I retire I want to slow down, reflect, and possibly write a book with some of my reflections.
- I paused some time to reflect on all he had related and the various arguments which he had employed.Mary Shelley -- Frankenstein
- For the purposes of everyday life it was no doubt necessary, or sometimes necessary, to reflect before speaking, but a Party member called upon to make a political or ethical judgement should be able to spray forth the correct opinions as automatically as a machine gun spraying forth bullets.George Orwell -- 1984
- She stood by the back door reflecting on these gloomy possibilities, her eyes fixed on the water-butt.Edith Nesbit -- The Railway Children
- Constance Culmington, he reflected to himself, was exactly the sort of woman who would buy an island and surround herself with mystery!Agatha Christie -- And Then There Were None
- I was wearing my pink Sunday dress, shoes, and a petticoat, and reflected that if I spilled anything Calpurnia would have to wash my dress again for tomorrow.Harper Lee -- To Kill a Mockingbird
- She reflected several seconds, making her calculations and wondering also what sum she could ask without drawing on herself an immediate refusal and a frightened exclamation from the economical clerk.Guy de Maupassant -- The Diamond Necklace
reflect = think carefully
reflect = think carefully
reflect = think carefully
reflect = think carefully
reflect = think carefully
reflecting = thinking carefully
reflected = thought
reflected = thought
reflected = thought carefully
4 —as in:
reflect poorly on the school
Definition
influence opinion- The failing test scores would reflect poorly on the school.
reflect = influence opinion
Other Uses (with this meaning)
- The inaccurate report reflected poorly on the newspaper.
- Winning the national championship would reflect positively on the whole school.
- Funny, in the arena, when I poured out those berries, I was only thinking of outsmarting the Gamemakers, not how my actions would reflect on the Capitol.Suzanne Collins -- The Hunger Games
reflected = influenced opinion as specified
reflect = influence opinion
reflect = influence opinion about
5 —as in:
reflect the light/heat/sound
Definition
bounce back (rather than absorbing)- We're replacing all the warning signs with signs that reflect headlights in the dark.
reflect = bounce back light from
Other Uses (with this meaning)
- The stop signs in this neighborhood reflect light, so you won't miss them even if there isn't a nearby street light.
- Reflective highway signs save lives.
- I wear a reflective jacket when I bicycle at night.
- We get an echo when the sound reflects off of the canyon walls.
- The glowing embers cast faint shadows into the surrounding night, and under the trees, a large set of eyes reflected the light, staring patiently out of the darkness.Ben Mikaeslen -- Touching Spirit Bear
- Eventually, I give in and slide into the sleeping bag with Peeta. It's toasty warm and I snuggle down gratefully until I realize it's more than warm, it's overly hot because the bag is reflecting back his fever.Suzanne Collins -- The Hunger Games
- The glass building above the Pit reflects sunlight into my eyes.Veronica Roth -- Divergent
- Two red chickens on the ground flamed with reflected light.John Steinbeck -- The Grapes of Wrath
- He was a thin leathery man with colorless eyes, so colorless they did not reflect light.Harper Lee -- To Kill a Mockingbird
reflect = bounce back
reflective = having the characteristic of bouncing back light
reflective = having the characteristic of bouncing back light
reflects = bounces back
reflected = shined back
reflecting = bouncing back (rather than the heat leaving the bag, it stays within it)
reflects = shines (bounces back)
reflect = shine (bounce back)
Less commonly:
See a comprehensive dictionary for less common meanings of reflect.