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Definition of reflect verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

reflect

verb
 
/rɪˈflekt/
 
/rɪˈflekt/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they reflect
 
/rɪˈflekt/
 
/rɪˈflekt/
he / she / it reflects
 
/rɪˈflekts/
 
/rɪˈflekts/
past simple reflected
 
/rɪˈflektɪd/
 
/rɪˈflektɪd/
past participle reflected
 
/rɪˈflektɪd/
 
/rɪˈflektɪd/
-ing form reflecting
 
/rɪˈflektɪŋ/
 
/rɪˈflektɪŋ/
Idioms
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  1. [transitive, usually passive] to show the image of somebody/something on the surface of something such as a mirror, water or glass
    • be reflected (in something) His face was reflected in the mirror.
    • She looked into the water and saw her face reflected there.
    • She could see herself reflected in his eyes.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • dimly
    • dully
    • directly
    preposition
    • from
    • off
    See full entry
  2. [transitive, intransitive] to throw back light, heat, sound, etc. from a surface
    • reflect something The windows reflected the bright afternoon sunlight.
    • This material absorbs the sound, and doesn’t reflect it.
    • reflect something + adv./prep. When the sun's rays hit the earth, a lot of the heat is reflected back into space.
    • reflect + adv./prep. The sun reflected dully off the stone walls.
    Extra Examples
    • Light reflects directly off a face of a crystal.
    • The screen reflects light from the sun.
    Topics Physics and chemistryb1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • dimly
    • dully
    • directly
    preposition
    • from
    • off
    See full entry
  3. [transitive] reflect something to show or be a sign of the nature of something or of somebody’s attitude or feeling
    • Our newspaper aims to reflect the views of the local community.
    • His music reflects his interest in African culture.
    • This year's figures simply reflect the fact that we have fewer people out of work.
    • Does popular culture reflect reality or distort it?
    • They are constantly revising the dictionary to reflect changes in language.
    • Her remarks accurately reflect the views of most of us.
    Extra Examples
    • Senegalese culture strongly reflects influences from Islamic rulers.
    • The condition of the house is reflected in its low price.
    • The exhibition is designed to reflect the diversity of the nation and its regions.
    • The punishment should adequately reflect the revulsion felt by most people for this appalling crime.
    • The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of the editor.
    • Her face reflected the power of her feelings.
    • The story reflects very modern concerns and issues.
    • Schools need to reflect the increasing cultural diversity of modern society.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • clearly
    • directly
    • accurately
    verb + reflect
    • be designed to
    preposition
    • in
    See full entry
  4. [intransitive, transitive] to think carefully and deeply about something
    • Before I decide, I need time to reflect.
    • reflect on/upon something She was left to reflect on the implications of her decision.
    • William had little time to reflect upon these episodes.
    • reflect that… On the way home he reflected that the interview had gone well.
    • reflect how, what, etc… She reflected how different it could have been.
    • + speech ‘It could all have been so different,’ she reflected.
    Extra Examples
    • He reflected ruefully that his money didn't buy as much as it used to
    • One good thing, he reflected wryly, was that none of his colleagues would find out.
    • She paused to reflect on what she had achieved.
    • an opportune time to reflect critically on the city's past
    • I paused to reflect how I would answer that question.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • bitterly
    • ruefully
    • wryly
    verb + reflect
    • pause to
    • leave somebody to
    preposition
    • on
    • upon
    phrases
    • time to reflect
    See full entry
  5. Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French reflecter or Latin reflectere, from re- ‘back’ + flectere ‘to bend’.
Idioms
reflect well, badly, etc. on somebody/something
  1. to make somebody/something appear to be good, bad, etc. to other people
    • This incident reflects badly on everyone involved.
    Extra Examples
    • This kind of conduct reflects very poorly on you.
    • information that may reflect negatively on research participants
See reflect in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee reflect in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
dizzy
adjective
 
 
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