lustre
gb/lˈʌstɚ/ us/lˈʌstɚ/
B2
English
~ 7700
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
property
1
soft, shiny appearance of a surface
A soft, nice-looking shine on the surface of something like hair, metal, or cloth.
Usage pattern:
the lustre of [material/thing]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "lustre" with "lust". "Lustre" is about shine or beauty, while "lust" is a strong sexual desire. Another common issue is spelling: American English usually uses "luster", while British English usually uses "lustre".
Synonyms
sheen (Very close in meaning; often suggests a smooth, soft shine, especially on hair or fabric.)
|
gloss (Similar but often used for very smooth, polished surfaces like paint or magazines.)
Antonyms
dullness (Refers to a lack of shine or brightness on a surface.)
|
matte (Describes a surface with no shine at all.)
Collocations
natural lustre
|soft lustre
|high lustre
|metallic lustre
|restore the lustre
|the lustre of silk
Themes
appearance
|materials
|art
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Examples
- The conditioner brought back the natural lustre of her hair.
- Over time, the silver lost its lustre and needed to be polished.
- The artist loved the soft lustre of the morning light on the lake.
- The polished marble floor had a deep, rich lustre.
- This fabric has a subtle lustre that makes it perfect for evening wear.
Learner examples
- The shampoo gives your hair a nice lustre.
- After many years, the old table has no lustre.
- He cleaned the car until the paint had a strong lustre.
- The ring’s gold lustre looks beautiful in the sun.
- Good cream can add lustre to dry skin.
Noun
C1
property
2
prestige or attractive reputation
The special fame or beauty that makes a person, event, or thing seem very attractive or important.
Usage pattern:
the lustre of [someone/something]; [something] loses its lustre
Common mistake:
Learners may think this sense is always about physical shine. In this meaning, "lustre" is abstract and refers to reputation or special appeal. It is often used with verbs like "lose", "add", "restore", or "diminish".
Synonyms
prestige (Focuses more on respect and status, especially in professional or social contexts.)
|
glamour (Adds a sense of style and excitement, often used for celebrities or fashionable events.)
Antonyms
tarnish (Often used figuratively to describe damage to a good name or image.)
|
obscurity (Suggests a lack of fame or public attention.)
Collocations
lose its lustre
|add lustre to
|the lustre of his career
|the lustre of victory
|diminish the lustre
|cast a lustre on
Themes
reputation
|media
|culture
|business
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The scandal has taken much of the lustre off his early achievements.
- Hosting the world championships added considerable lustre to the country’s image.
- For many fans, the awards have lost their lustre in recent years.
- The victory gave new lustre to the team’s struggling season.
- The company is trying to restore the lustre of its once-iconic brand.
Learner examples
- The prize gave the young writer extra lustre.
- The team’s old stadium has lost its lustre.
- The festival still has some lustre, but it is smaller now.
- Winning the prize added lustre to her career.
- The city is working to bring back the lustre of its old centre.
Noun
technical
C1
property
3
light-reflecting quality of minerals
In geology, the kind of shine a mineral has on its surface, for example metallic, glass-like, or pearly.
Usage pattern:
[mineral] has a [type] lustre
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse everyday "shine" with the technical term "lustre" in geology. In this context, "lustre" refers to standard categories such as metallic, vitreous, or pearly, not just to how bright something looks.
Synonyms
shine (A general word; in technical geology, "lustre" is more precise and refers to classified types of shine.)
Antonyms
earthy (In mineralogy, an earthy surface has little or no noticeable lustre.)
Collocations
metallic lustre
|vitreous lustre
|pearly lustre
|adamantine lustre
|dull lustre
|describe the lustre
Themes
science
|geology
|materials
Examples
- Pyrite typically shows a strong metallic lustre.
- Under the hand lens, the crystals display a vitreous lustre on their broken surfaces.
- The sample is white, with a pearly lustre on the cleavage faces.
- Its high refractive index gives the mineral an adamantine lustre.
- Lustre is one of the key properties used to identify unknown minerals.
Learner examples
- The mineral has a bright metallic lustre.
- Quartz usually has a glassy, or vitreous, lustre.
- Students wrote down the colour and lustre of each sample.
- This stone has a dull lustre and is hard to see in low light.
- Geologists use lustre to help name a mineral.
Noun
technical
C1
entity
4
shiny decorative coating or finish
A special thin layer put on things like cups, glass, or cloth to make the surface shiny, often like metal.
Usage pattern:
[object] has a lustre finish; [apply] a lustre to [object]
Common mistake:
Learners may not realise this sense refers to a specific type of decorative surface treatment, not just any shine. In product descriptions, "lustre finish" or "lustre glaze" usually means a deliberate, designed effect.
Synonyms
glaze (Common for pottery and ceramics; not all glazes are metallic or highly reflective, while "lustre" usually suggests noticeable shine.)
|
finish (A general word for a surface treatment; "lustre" is more specific and implies shine.)
Antonyms
matte finish (A type of finish that deliberately has no shine.)
Collocations
lustre ware
|gold lustre
|lustre glaze
|lustre finish
|apply a lustre
|iridescent lustre
Themes
art
|design
|materials
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The bowl is decorated with a delicate gold lustre around the rim.
- This range of tiles comes with either a matte or a high-lustre finish.
- The potter experimented with different lustres to achieve an iridescent effect.
- Lustre ware became highly fashionable in the nineteenth century.
- A clear overglaze was applied before firing to fix the metallic lustre.
Learner examples
- The plate has a blue and silver lustre.
- You can choose a matte or a lustre finish for the paint.
- The artist used a gold lustre on the edge of the cup.
- These vases are examples of old lustre ware.
- The company sells tiles with a soft lustre glaze.
Noun
archaic
C2
entity
5
old term for a chandelier
An old word for a chandelier, a large light that hangs from the ceiling with many arms.
Usage pattern:
a glass lustre; a crystal lustre
Common mistake:
Learners may assume this meaning is common because it is frequent in some European languages. In modern English, "chandelier" is the usual word; "lustre" for a light fitting is rare and sounds old-fashioned or technical (e.g. in antique catalogues).
Synonyms
chandelier (The normal modern word; widely used in everyday English.)
Antonyms
table lamp (Not a direct logical antonym, but a contrasting type of light that does not hang from the ceiling.)
Collocations
glass lustre
|crystal lustre
|antique lustre
|a five-light lustre
Themes
furniture
|architecture
|housing
|daily_life
Examples
- An ornate glass lustre hung in the centre of the drawing room.
- The auction catalogue lists an early Victorian crystal lustre among the lots.
- They restored the old lustre and rewired it to modern safety standards.
Learner examples
- An old glass lustre hangs from the high ceiling.
- The hotel keeps a large crystal lustre in the main hall.
- Workers cleaned the dust from the antique lustre.
- The designer chose a modern lustre for the dining room.
- This word for chandelier, lustre, is now mostly old-fashioned.
Grammar
Dictionary form
lustre
IPA
GB/lˈʌstɚ/
US/lˈʌstɚ/
Syllables & stress
lustre (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (lustre)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: lustre
- Plural: lustre
Word family
Core family
lustrous
adjective
Related words
luster
noun
Negative and opposite forms
lacklustre
adjective C1
lustreless
adjective
Advanced or less common
lustrously
adverb
Expressions
add lustre to
1/ˈæd lˈʌstɚ tə/
fixed phrase
make something seem more prestigious
To make someone or something look more important, successful, or special.
Examples
- The award added lustre to her already impressive career.
- Hosting the tournament will add lustre to the country’s sporting record.
- His presence on the panel adds considerable lustre to the event.
lose its lustre
1/lˈuz ˈɪts lˈʌstɚ/
idiom
become less attractive or exciting
To become less interesting, less special, or less impressive than before.
Examples
- The job quickly lost its lustre once he realised how much overtime was expected.
- For many viewers, the show has lost its lustre after so many seasons.
- The city’s night life has lost some of its lustre in recent years.
restore the lustre to
1/ɹɪstˈɔɹ ðə lˈʌstɚ tə/
fixed phrase
bring back shine or prestige
To make something shiny again, or to make it respected and admired again.
Examples
- A good polish will restore the lustre to the old wooden floor.
- The new manager is trying to restore the lustre to the club’s name.
- They hope the festival will restore some lustre to the town.
take the lustre off
1/tˈeɪk ðə lˈʌstɚ ˈɔf/
idiom
reduce enjoyment or prestige
To make something feel less good, less enjoyable, or less special than it seemed before.
Examples
- The long delays took the lustre off what should have been a great holiday.
- Injuries to key players took the lustre off their victory.
- The negative press coverage took some of the lustre off the announcement.
with all its old lustre
1/wˈɪθ ˈɔl ˈɪts ˈoʊld lˈʌstɚ/
fixed phrase
literary
still as bright or glorious as before
Still looking or feeling as beautiful, strong, or important as it did in the past.
Examples
- The opera house has been restored with all its old lustre.
- The city is trying to celebrate the festival with all its old lustre.
- The tradition continues with all its old lustre and ceremony.