sparkled; sparkling
ˈspär-k(ə-)liŋ 
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
: to cause to glitter or shine
1
: a little spark : scintillation
2
: the quality of sparkling
3
a
b
: the quality or state of being effervescent
Synonyms
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
Michelle Darrisaw, Southern Living, 11 Apr. 2024
Beyond 350 days of sunshine per year, there are so many reasons to visit Palm Springs: sparkling pools, mid-century architecture, world-class events, arts and culture, and a thriving food scene (to name merely a few).
—Alesandra Dubin, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2024
Then the 10-year-old ran across the grass to her little sister, tilting her head to show how her face sparkled in the sunlight.
—Ellie Silverman, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
Coffee, milk, eggs, Greek yogurt, fruits, oatmeal, avocados, sparkling water, premade salads for easy lunches, and chocolate peanut butter cups for a sweet treat.
—Bon Appétit Contributor, Bon Appétit, 4 Apr. 2024
The outcome is a pool that sparkles from end to end, all while demanding significantly less effort from you.
—William Mullane, USA TODAY, 1 Apr. 2024
As the glass slides open, I’m met with a customer-free space, a mix of sleek wood paneling, mirrors, and diamond jewelry sparkling behind panes of glass throughout.
—Aemilia Madden, Vogue, 30 Mar. 2024
The future doesn’t exactly look sparkling for Napoli.
—Emmet Gates, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
The chafing dishes were full, and sparkled with Sterno and silver polish.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2024
Debbie Frank, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024
Amongst all the glitz and sparkle of Paris Couture Week back in January, one piece stood out.
—Kate Matthams, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
Come for the transformations, stay for the sparkle.
—USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2024
But Cheers’ most impressive feat is never once losing its sparkle across 11 seasons.
—Kevin Jacobsen and Hope Lasater, EW.com, 21 Mar. 2024
Make the beach sparkle in Ventura Help keep our precious coast pristine by joining a beach cleanup effort at the Channel Islands National Park.
—Michael Charboneau, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024
Lloyd says, a sparkle in his eyes coming from behind his stylish round glasses.
—Steve Hochman, SPIN, 19 Mar. 2024
As if the shimmering metallic fabric wasn’t enough sparkle, the plunging sweetheart neckline, straps, hem, and empire waist were all lined in rows of red rhinestones.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2024
There are blue seats at the bar, one wall that looks like a lava lamp, one wall with sparkles, an inflatable alien and lamps that look like circular spaceships.
—Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Feb. 2024
Verb
This recipe from Austin bar owner Chris Marshall uses juniper syrup, a cranberry sparkling beverage, and zero-alcohol gin.
—Michelle Darrisaw, Southern Living, 11 Apr. 2024
Beyond 350 days of sunshine per year, there are so many reasons to visit Palm Springs: sparkling pools, mid-century architecture, world-class events, arts and culture, and a thriving food scene (to name merely a few).
—Alesandra Dubin, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2024
Then the 10-year-old ran across the grass to her little sister, tilting her head to show how her face sparkled in the sunlight.
—Ellie Silverman, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
Coffee, milk, eggs, Greek yogurt, fruits, oatmeal, avocados, sparkling water, premade salads for easy lunches, and chocolate peanut butter cups for a sweet treat.
—Bon Appétit Contributor, Bon Appétit, 4 Apr. 2024
The outcome is a pool that sparkles from end to end, all while demanding significantly less effort from you.
—William Mullane, USA TODAY, 1 Apr. 2024
As the glass slides open, I’m met with a customer-free space, a mix of sleek wood paneling, mirrors, and diamond jewelry sparkling behind panes of glass throughout.
—Aemilia Madden, Vogue, 30 Mar. 2024
The future doesn’t exactly look sparkling for Napoli.
—Emmet Gates, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
The chafing dishes were full, and sparkled with Sterno and silver polish.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2024
Noun
Sagittarius April’s romantic sparkle encourages you to live life to the full, Sagittarius.
—Debbie Frank, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024
Amongst all the glitz and sparkle of Paris Couture Week back in January, one piece stood out.
—Kate Matthams, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
Come for the transformations, stay for the sparkle.
—USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2024
But Cheers’ most impressive feat is never once losing its sparkle across 11 seasons.
—Kevin Jacobsen and Hope Lasater, EW.com, 21 Mar. 2024
Make the beach sparkle in Ventura Help keep our precious coast pristine by joining a beach cleanup effort at the Channel Islands National Park.
—Michael Charboneau, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024
Lloyd says, a sparkle in his eyes coming from behind his stylish round glasses.
—Steve Hochman, SPIN, 19 Mar. 2024
As if the shimmering metallic fabric wasn’t enough sparkle, the plunging sweetheart neckline, straps, hem, and empire waist were all lined in rows of red rhinestones.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2024
There are blue seats at the bar, one wall that looks like a lava lamp, one wall with sparkles, an inflatable alien and lamps that look like circular spaceships.
—Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Feb. 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.
Dictionary Entries Near sparkle
Cite this Entry
“Sparkle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sparkle. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sparkle
1 of 2 verb
spar·kle
ˈspär-kəl
sparkled; sparkling
-k(ə-)liŋ
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 noun1
: a little flash of light
2
: the quality of sparkling
3
: the quality or state of being effervescent
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