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PlainSpell

luster

/ˈlʌstɚ/noun, verb

luster is spelled L-U-S-T-E-R: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 30,418th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, luster means “The ability or condition of shining with reflected light; sheen, gleam, gloss, sparkle, shine, etc” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of luster is lusters.

How many letters and syllables are in luster?

Letters6: L-U-S-T-E-R
Syllables2 (from its American pronunciation)
In writingabout once in every 1 million words; the 30,418th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search
Rhymes with
Same letters

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.

How common is luster?

Luster appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 30,418th most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce luster?

  • US /ˈlʌstɚ/

Luster has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-luster.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

What rhymes with luster?

8 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as luster from its last stressed vowel (/ʌstəɹ/):

Spelled with the same letters in another order: result, ulster, lustre, rustle, sutler.

Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).

Forms of luster

  • lusters plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • lustre
  • lustering participle, present
  • lustered participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does luster mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    USThe ability or condition of shining with reflected light; sheen, gleam, gloss, sparkle, shine, etc.

    metallic luster

  2. 2

    USThe way in which the surface of any particular type of mineral reflects light differently from other minerals, which is helpful in telling minerals apart.

  3. 3

    USShining light from within, luminosity, brightness, shine.

    the sun’s luster

  4. 4

    USShining beauty, splendor, attractiveness or attraction.

    After so many years in the same field, the job had lost its luster.

  5. 5

    USShining fame, renown, glory.

    After the scandal, the idol lost his luster and could only get work in Vegas.

  6. 6

    USPolish, social refinement.

    Sure, the posh git spoke with fine lustre. ’S all a load of bollocks, though, innit?

  7. 7

    USAny shining body or thing.

  8. 8

    USA piece of glass added to a light (especially a chandelier) to increase its luster.

  9. 9

    USAlternative form of lustrum: A five-year period, especially (historical) in Roman contexts.

  10. 10

    USarchaicOne who lusts, one inflamed with lust.

    Eumenides But did neuer any Louers come hether?

  11. 11

    USobsoleteSynonym of den: a dwelling-place in a wilderness, especially for animals.

verb

  1. 1

    USarchaicTo have luster, to gleam, to shine.

    What bloom, what brightness lusters o’er her cheeks!

  2. 2

    USarchaicTo gain luster, to become lustrous.

  3. 3

    USobsoleteTo make illustrious or attractive, to distinguish.

  4. 4

    USTo coat with a lustrous material or glaze, to impart physical luster to an object.

  5. 5

    USobsoleteTo shed light on, to illustrate, to show.

  6. 6

    USobsoleteSynonym of purify, to ritually cleanse or renew.

  7. 7

    USobsoleteSynonym of look, to look over, to survey.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Luster in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchlustre, éclat (a shine, polish or sparkle)
GermanGlanz, Lüster (a shine, polish or sparkle)
Spanishlustre (a shine, polish or sparkle), brillar (to have luster), lustrar (to give luster)
Portugueselustre (brilliance, attractiveness or splendor)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does luster come from?

From Middle French lustre, from Old Italian lustro, from Old Italian lustrare (“brighten”), from Latin lūstrō (“to purify, to brighten”), from Latin lūstrum (“purification ritual”).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

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