Gloss — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈgläs/

Meaning & Definition of Gloss

Gloss (noun)

  1. a surface luster or brightness, shine
  2. a deceptively attractive appearance
  3. bright often superficial attractiveness
  4. a brief explanation (as in the margin or between the lines of a text) of a difficult or obscure word or expression
  5. a false and often willfully misleading interpretation (as of a text)
  6. glossary

Gloss (verb)

  1. to deal with (a subject or problem) too lightly or not at all —used with over
  2. to mask the true nature of, give a deceptively attractive appearance to —used with over
  3. to give a gloss to
  4. to provide a gloss for, explain, define
  5. interpret
  6. to dispose of by false or perverse interpretation

Gloss (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a deceptively attractive external appearance

    "used a computer to give her astrological predictions the gloss of real science"

    similar: facade, veneer, window dressing
    related: cotton candy, fluff, tinsel, fig leaf, charade, front, guise, masquerade, pose, semblance, show

  2. brightness created by light reflected from a surface

    "the surface has such a high gloss, you can see your face reflected in it"

    similar: burnish, luminance, luster, polish, sheen, shine
    related: glare, gleam, glimmer, glint, glisten, glow, shimmer, blink, flicker, sparkle, twinkle, illumination, irradiation, iridescence, luminescence, brilliance, luminosity, radiance, radiancy, refulgence, finish, glaze
    near: dimness, dinginess, dirtiness, drabness, dullness, flatness, grayness, paleness, cloudiness, gloom, murkiness, obscureness, obscurity, somberness

Gloss (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to make smooth or glossy usually by repeatedly applying surface pressure

    "the action of the water will serve to gloss the seal's coat"

    similar: buff, burnish, dress, furbish, grind, polish, rub, shine, smooth, smoothen
    related: sleek, slick, coat, glaze, japan, lacquer, varnish, face, finish, veneer, brighten, file, rasp, sand, sandblast, sandpaper, scour, scrape, scrub, bob, bone, lap
    near: rough (up), roughen, ruffle, scuff (up)

Related Entry: Gloss (over) (verb)

Gloss (over) is a different word from Gloss. The synonyms below are for gloss (over), not for gloss.

  1. to make (something) seem less bad by offering excuses

    "I don't want to gloss over her misbehavior, but keep in mind that she's been under a lot of stress lately"

    similar: deodorize, excuse, explain away, extenuate, gloze (over), palliate, whitewash
    related: sugarcoat, varnish, apologize, atone, confess, account (for), explain, justify, rationalize, minimize, play down, soft-pedal, alleviate, ease, lessen, lighten, mitigate, moderate, soften, temper, absolve, acquit, clear, exculpate, exonerate, vindicate

  2. to dismiss as of little importance

    "this biographer tends to gloss over his subject's many character flaws"

    similar: blink (at), brush (aside or off), condone, discount, disregard, excuse, forgive, gloze (over), ignore, overlook, overpass, paper over, pardon, pass over, remit, shrug off, whitewash, wink (at), close one's eyes to, forgive and forget
    related: explain, justify, rationalize, absolve, acquit, clear, exculpate, exonerate, vindicate, waive, wave (aside or off)
    near: heed, mark, mind, note, object (to)

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Gloss

The most common words with a similar meaning to Gloss:

facade, veneer, window dressing, burnish, luminance, luster, polish, sheen, shine, buff, dress, furbish, grind, rub, smooth, smoothen

Related Words for Gloss

cotton candy, fluff, tinsel, fig leaf, charade, front, guise, masquerade, pose, semblance, show, glare, gleam, glimmer, glint, glisten, glow, shimmer, blink, flicker, sparkle, twinkle, illumination, irradiation, iridescence, luminescence, brilliance, luminosity, radiance, radiancy

Near Antonyms of Gloss

dimness, dinginess, dirtiness, drabness, dullness, flatness, grayness, paleness, cloudiness, gloom, murkiness, obscureness, obscurity, somberness, rough (up), roughen, ruffle, scuff (up)

Word Forms of Gloss

Inflections: glossed, glossing, glosses

Origin & Etymology of Gloss

akin to Middle High German glosen to glow, shine; akin to Old English geolu yellow

First known use: 1538

Words & Phrases Containing Gloss

glosso-, gloss over, lip gloss

Frequently Asked Questions about Gloss

What does "Gloss" mean?

"Gloss" means a surface luster or brightness, shine. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: a surface luster or brightness, shine. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Gloss"?

Other words for "Gloss" include facade, veneer, window dressing, burnish, luminance, luster, polish and sheen. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Gloss" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Gloss"?

There are 68 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Gloss". Common alternatives include facade, veneer, window dressing, burnish, luminance, luster, polish, sheen, shine and buff.

How do you use "Gloss" in a sentence?

Examples of "Gloss" in a sentence: "used a computer to give her astrological predictions the gloss of real science"; "the surface has such a high gloss, you can see your face reflected in it"; "the action of the water will serve to gloss the seal's coat".

Is "Gloss" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Gloss" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Gloss"?

"Gloss" is pronounced /ˈgläs/.

What is the origin of the word "Gloss"?

"Gloss" comes from akin to Middle High German glosen to glow, shine; akin to Old English geolu yellow. First known use: 1538.

What is another word for "Gloss" meaning "a deceptively attractive external appearance"?

When "Gloss" (noun) means a deceptively attractive external appearance, synonyms include facade, veneer and window dressing.