lustre
gb/lˈʌstɚ/ us/lˈʌstɚ/
B2
Anglais
~ 7700
Sens
0 sens
Nom
B2
property
1
soft, shiny appearance of a surface
A soft, nice-looking shine on the surface of something like hair, metal, or cloth.
Schéma d’usage :
the lustre of [material/thing]
Erreur fréquente :
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".
Synonymes
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.)
Antonymes
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
Thèmes
appearance
|materials
|art
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Exemples
- 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.
Exemples pédagogiques
- 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.
Nom
C1
property
2
prestige or attractive reputation
The special fame or beauty that makes a person, event, or thing seem very attractive or important.
Schéma d’usage :
the lustre of [someone/something]; [something] loses its lustre
Erreur fréquente :
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".
Synonymes
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.)
Antonymes
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
Thèmes
reputation
|media
|culture
|business
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- 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.
Exemples pédagogiques
- 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.
Nom
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.
Schéma d’usage :
[mineral] has a [type] lustre
Erreur fréquente :
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.
Synonymes
shine (A general word; in technical geology, "lustre" is more precise and refers to classified types of shine.)
Antonymes
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
Thèmes
science
|geology
|materials
Exemples
- 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.
Exemples pédagogiques
- 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.
Nom
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.
Schéma d’usage :
[object] has a lustre finish; [apply] a lustre to [object]
Erreur fréquente :
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.
Synonymes
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.)
Antonymes
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
Thèmes
art
|design
|materials
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- 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.
Exemples pédagogiques
- 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.
Nom
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.
Schéma d’usage :
a glass lustre; a crystal lustre
Erreur fréquente :
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).
Synonymes
chandelier (The normal modern word; widely used in everyday English.)
Antonymes
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
Thèmes
furniture
|architecture
|housing
|daily_life
Exemples
- 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.
Exemples pédagogiques
- 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.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
lustre
API
GB/lˈʌstɚ/
US/lˈʌstɚ/
Syllabes et accentuation
lustre (1 syllabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (lustre)
Formes du mot
Noun
- Base: lustre
- Plural: lustre
Famille de mots
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.
Exemples
- 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.
Exemples
- 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.
Exemples
- 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.
Exemples
- 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.
Exemples
- 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.