coruscate
verb
Did you know?
"You're a shining star / No matter who you are." So sang the band Earth, Wind & Fire on their 1975 hit "Shining Star," which is not only a coruscating gem of funk and soul but one that serves as a handy (and catchy) way to remember the dual uses of the verb coruscate. This formal-sounding synonym of sparkle comes from the Latin verb coruscare, meaning "to flash." Originally, coruscate was used only literally, applied when things—such as, well, shining stars—glitter or gleam, as when Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote in his 1852 short story about a scarecrow, "Feathertop," that "the star kept coruscating on Feathertop's breast…." Eventually, coruscate gained figurative use, applying to those human shining stars who may be said to have a "coruscating wit" or "coruscating brilliance," or to things (such as satires, performances, or prose) that are metaphorically brilliant.
Examples of coruscate in a Sentence
Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Oct. 2021
Brazil had been in coruscating form up to that point, so few expected them to falter.
—SI.com, 5 June 2018
In February the group dropped Slag (Aerophonic), a live recording of a coruscating performance at London’s Café Oto in 2015.
—Peter Margasak, Chicago Reader, 22 Sep. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Coruscate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coruscate. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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