gleam

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

gleam, sparkle, and glitter mean to send forth light. gleam is used when light shines through something else or is reflected or shines against a dark background.

• • The lighthouse gleamed through the fog.

sparkle is used for something that has several changing points of light.

• • Water sparkled in the sunlight.

glitter is used for a brilliant sparkling of light.

• • The jewels glittered brightly.