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Reflect Very Common

Reflect has 8 different meanings across 1 category:

Verb

Definitions
Verb
1

manifest or bring back

"This action reflects his true beliefs"

2

reflect deeply on a subject

"I mulled over the events of the afternoon"

"philosophers have speculated on the question of God for thousands of years"

"The scientist must stop to observe and start to excogitate"

3

to throw or bend back (from a surface)

"Sound is reflected well in this auditorium"

4

be bright by reflecting or casting light

"Drive carefully--the wet road reflects"

5

show an image of

"her sunglasses reflected his image"

6

give evidence of a certain behavior

"His lack of interest in the project reflects badly on him"

7

give evidence of the quality of

"The mess in his dorm room reflects on the student"

8

To bend back (light, etc.) from a surface.

"The smooth lake surface reflected the sunset's golden colors perfectly."

In plain English: To reflect means to think carefully about something or to show an image back, like a mirror does.

"The lake reflects the blue sky above it."

Usage: Use this verb to describe light or sound bouncing off surfaces like mirrors or water rather than being absorbed. Do not confuse it with the noun form when referring to physical phenomena such as reflection in optics.

Example Sentences
"The lake reflects the blue sky above it." verb
"The calm lake reflected the blue sky above it." verb
"She paused to reflect on her recent mistakes before speaking." verb
"His dark suit reflects very little light in the sun." verb
Related Terms
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
indicate think emit show attest
Narrower Terms (hyponyms)
premeditate theologize introspect bethink cogitate wonder puzzle study reverberate mirror resplend glare opalesce luminesce sparkle

Origin

The word "reflect" comes from the Old French reflecter, meaning "to bend back," which itself was borrowed from the Latin reflectō. The original sense of turning something backward traveled directly into English without changing its core meaning.

Rhyming Words
ect dect fect tect lect hect sect exect elect spect eject object inject adject advect expect resect adlect detect aspect
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