sparkle

1 of 2

verb

spar·​kle ˈspär-kəl How to pronounce sparkle (audio)
sparkled; sparkling ˈspär-k(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce sparkle (audio)

intransitive verb

1
a
: to throw out sparks
b
: to give off or reflect bright moving points of light
c
: to perform brilliantly
2
: effervesce
wine that sparkles
3
: to become lively or animated
the dialogue sparkles with wit
eyes sparkling with anger

transitive verb

: to cause to glitter or shine

sparkle

2 of 2

noun

1
: a little spark : scintillation
2
: the quality of sparkling
3
b
: the quality or state of being effervescent
Choose the Right Synonym for sparkle

flash, gleam, glint, sparkle, glitter, glisten, glimmer, shimmer mean to send forth light.

flash implies a sudden outburst of bright light.

lightning flashed

gleam suggests a steady light seen through an obscuring medium or against a dark background.

lights gleamed in the valley

glint implies a cold glancing light.

glinting steel

sparkle suggests innumerable moving points of bright light.

the sparkling waters

glitter connotes a brilliant sparkling or gleaming.

glittering diamonds

glisten applies to the soft sparkle from a wet or oily surface.

glistening wet sidewalk

glimmer suggests a faint or wavering gleam.

a distant glimmering light

shimmer means shining with a wavering light.

a shimmering satin dress

Examples of sparkle in a Sentence

Verb The dancers sparkled on stage. Her eyes sparkled with pride. Noun The sun reflected off the water in bright sparkles of light. He caught the sparkle of her diamond out of the corner of his eye. a performance full of sparkle and originality the sparkle in her eyes
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The Betty Booze lineup features sparkling tequila with lime shiso, sparkling tequila with oak smoked lemonade, and sparkling bourbon with apple ginger sour cherry. Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024 This style features a multi-colored glitter in mint green, blush, and gold that sparkles on the sneaker with the bakery’s signature mint green on the outsoles to match. Amber Love Bond, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Almost everyone had at least one item that sparkled. Jon Caramanica, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2024 The recipe also typically calls for sparkling water, which provides nothing beyond a pleasant fizz. Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, Scientific American, 16 Feb. 2024 While the ’90s catwalk styling leaned way more theatrical—with a pirate eye patch and head scarf—Robbie forwent this in favor of sleek accessories, including barely-there sparkling jewels. Christian Allaire, Vogue, 10 Feb. 2024 Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a four-course Valentine’s experience featuring cheese fondue, salad, entrée, chocolate fondue, sparkling toast, and $25 gift certificate per couple for a future visit. The Courier-Journal, 5 Feb. 2024 The former factory worker sparkles at the memory of the food shops inside and even a hung picture of a flowery scene that once served as a backdrop for portraits – all details of daily life that once helped knit this community together. Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 Feb. 2024 After the Chiefs won the AFC Championship game on January 28 , Swift showed off a square sparkling set while kissing boyfriend Travis Kelce on the football field. Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 23 Feb. 2024
Noun
Lohan paired the dress — which also had a slight slit, exposing Lohan's ankle-strap heels — with a black clutch with more metallic details, and a final touch of sparkle with a pair of statement drop earrings. Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 6 Mar. 2024 In my ears, the symphony’s teeth only got sharper as the week wore on and the orchestra forged ahead — though the Philharmonie space did lend particular sparkle and peculiar shine to its timbral variety show. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 Keeping the ‘sparkle in kids’ eyes’ Mia Cooper, a parent with three children in San Bernardino City Unified, said her childrens’ after-school program has been a life-saver. Calmatters, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024 Singular, stunning and full of sparkle, necklaces that were richly detailed in everything from chokers to bibs, to fringe styles stole the jewelry spotlight. Beth Bernstein, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 In that span, heat and pressure arrange the carbon’s atoms in a crystal structure that lends the resulting rocks their strength and sparkle. Amanda Mull, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2024 And of course, who can forget her pregnancy debut in pink sparkles. Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 1 Feb. 2024 A touch of sparkle came from the black rhinestones beaded waistline on her dress, as well as De Beers jewelry. Jackie Fields, Peoplemag, 25 Feb. 2024 Then there’s the jewelry: whether in earrings or a show-stopping necklace, both women knew that sparkles are key to a good night on the red carpet. Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 16 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sparkle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, frequentative of sparken to spark

Noun

Middle English, diminutive of sparke

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sparkle was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near sparkle

Cite this Entry

“Sparkle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sparkle. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sparkle

1 of 2 verb
spar·​kle ˈspär-kəl How to pronounce sparkle (audio)
sparkled; sparkling -k(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce sparkle (audio)
1
a
: to throw out sparks
b
: to give off small flashes of light
the diamond sparkled
2
: to do or play very well
sparkled at shortstop
3
: effervesce sense 1
sparkling wine
4
: to become lively or active
the conversation sparkled

sparkle

2 of 2 noun
1
: a little flash of light
2
: the quality of sparkling
3
: the quality or state of being effervescent

More from Merriam-Webster on sparkle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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