flickered; flickering
ˈfli-k(ə-)riŋ 
1
: to move irregularly or unsteadily : flutter
Shadows flickered on the wall.
2
: to burn or shine fitfully or with a fluctuating light
a candle flickering in the window
3
: to appear or pass briefly or quickly
Thoughts flickered through his mind.
A smile flickered across her face.
1
a
: an act of flickering
b
: a sudden brief movement
the flicker of an eyelash
c
: a momentary arousal (as of interest or emotion)
a flicker of anger
d
: a slight indication : hint
a flicker of recognition
2
a
: a wavering light
the flicker of a candle
b
: a repeated momentary defect in a cathode-ray tube image caused especially by slow scanning of the screen
3
dated, informal
: movie
—often used in plural
: a large barred and spotted North American woodpecker (Colaptes auratus) with a brown back that commonly forages on the ground for ants compare red-shafted flicker, yellow-shafted flicker
Examples of flicker in a Sentence
Verb
A TV was flickering in the background.
The overhead light kept flickering off and on.
Thoughts flickered through his mind.
A smile flickered across her face.
Noun (1)
as a child, the future director would spend hours sitting in the theater, totally entranced by the flickers
usually there's a flicker in car sales when the new models come out
there was a flicker of recognition in her eye when I mentioned his name, but she denied knowing him
Recent Examples on the Web
Michal Ruprecht, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026
This world flickered into view between 1933 and 1943, a decade when the US government treated art as a public resource rather than a private luxury.
—John P. Murphy, ARTnews.com, 5 Apr. 2026
Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
Opt for bigger hanging bulbs, discrete flickers, or even hanging sheaths.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flicker
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
When the connection flickers back — sometimes for a mere 30 seconds — the conversations turn to life and death.
—Michal Ruprecht, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026
This world flickered into view between 1933 and 1943, a decade when the US government treated art as a public resource rather than a private luxury.
—John P. Murphy, ARTnews.com, 5 Apr. 2026
Noun
But if Butcher feeding meds to his dog Terror is any indication, there is still a flicker of humanity inside him.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
Opt for bigger hanging bulbs, discrete flickers, or even hanging sheaths.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flicker
Cite this Entry
“Flicker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flicker. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
flicker
2 of 3 noun1
: an act of flickering
2
: a brief stirring
a flicker of interest
3
: a flickering light
flicker
3 of 3 noun
: a large insect-eating North American woodpecker with a black crescent on the breast and yellow or red on the underside of the wings and tail compare red-shafted flicker, yellow-shafted flicker
Medical Definition
flicker
noun
flick·er
ˈflik-ər
: the wavering or fluttering visual sensation produced by intermittent light when the interval between flashes is not small enough to produce complete fusion of the individual impressions
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