verb
reflect
rih-FLEHKT
verb
1
To bounce light, sound, or an image back off a surface.
"The lake reflected the mountains perfectly at dawn."
"The mirror reflects everything in the room."
2
To think carefully or seriously about something.
"She took a moment to reflect on the past year."
3
To show or be evidence of a particular quality or condition.
"The company's profits reflect its recent success."
How to Use Reflect
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo bounce back (light, image), to think hard about something, or to show evidence of something.
Common pairings
reflect light
reflect on the past
reflect a trend
Word Forms
reflected past tense, reflects singular
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “reflect”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The lake _____ the mountains perfectly at dawn.
Etymology
From Latin reflectere ("to bend back"), from re- ("back") plus flectere ("to bend").