Word.ws English Dictionary

reflecting

Syllables: re·flect·ing/ɹɪˈflɛktɪŋ/

reflecting is the present participle and gerund of reflect.

Adjective

reflecting (comparative more reflecting, superlative most reflecting)

  1. That has been reflected (of light, sound etc.); undergoing reflection.
  2. That reflects.
    • a reflecting pool
  3. Having a component that reflects light.
    • a reflecting telescope
  4. Given to introspection; thoughtful, reflective.
  5. (obsolete) Insulting, disparaging.
    • I know what you mean, little reflecting fool, by saying, it is much in my power […] to give you that peace which you can give yourself whenever you please.1748, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter LII”, in Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to VII), London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; [a]nd sold by John Osborn, […]...

Meaning of reflect

Verb

reflect (third-person singular simple present reflects, present participle reflecting, simple past and past participle reflected)

  1. (transitive) To bend back (light, etc.) from a surface.
    • A mirror reflects the light that shines on it.
  2. (intransitive) To be bent back (light, etc.) from a surface.
    • The moonlight reflected from the surface of water.
  3. (transitive) To mirror, or show the image of something.
    • The shop window reflected his image as he walked past.
  4. (intransitive) To be mirrored.
    • His image reflected from the shop window as he walked past.
  5. (transitive) To agree with; to closely follow.
    • Entries in English dictionaries aim to reflect common usage.
  6. (transitive) To give evidence of someone's or something's character etc.
    • The team's victory reflects the Captain's abilities.

See all 7 meanings of reflect

Noun

reflecting (plural reflectings)

  1. An instance of reflection (in any sense).
    • The Hall of Spiders yawned and shrank, the threads deceiving the eye, the distances, shifting, surging forward or crumbling away, to the illusory reflectings of the moon.1946, Mervyn Peake, Titus Groan, London: Eyre & Spottiswoode, →OCLC

Forms of reflecting

Noun
pluralreflectings
Adjective
comparativemore reflecting
superlativemost reflecting

Words formed from reflecting

Phrases with reflecting

Questions about reflecting

What does reflecting mean?
Reflecting means an instance of reflection (in any sense).
What is reflecting the present participle and gerund of?
Reflecting is the present participle and gerund of reflect.
What part of speech is reflecting?
Reflecting can be a noun or an adjective.
How do you pronounce reflecting?
Reflecting is pronounced /ɹɪˈflɛktɪŋ/.
What is the plural of reflecting?
The plural of reflecting is reflectings.

Words near reflecting in the dictionary

  1. reflectest
  2. reflecteth
  3. reflectibility
  4. reflectible
  5. reflectin
  6. reflecting
  7. reflecting circle
  8. reflecting circles
  9. reflecting microscope
  10. reflecting microscopes
  11. reflecting on

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: reflecting (page history and authors); reflect (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-reflecting.wav.

Cite this entry: “reflecting.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/reflecting. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.