glimmer

verb

glim·​mer ˈgli-mər 

glimmered; glimmering ˈgli-mə-riŋ 

ˈglim-

intransitive verb

1

a

: to shine faintly or unsteadily

The candles glimmered in the windows.

b

: to give off a subdued unsteady reflection

Her white satin dress glimmered in the dusk.

2

: to appear indistinctly with a faintly luminous quality

Synonyms of glimmer

• gleam
• shimmer
• flash

Choose the Right Synonym for glimmer

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 glimmer in a Sentence

Candles glimmered in the windows of the inn.

Moonlight glimmered on the pond.

Recent Examples on the Web

To his left is a black car with a bulky, rounded frame, glimmering in the deluge. —Taran Dugal, New Yorker, 23 May 2026

The Eta Aquariids will glimmer slightly away from Venus, so keep your eyes peeled! —Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 4 May 2026

Days earlier, at Makapuu Beach on the eastern shoreline of Oahu, the water glimmered with an unusual greenish tint, prompting people to head to beaches down the road where the water seemed clearer. —Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026

Jupiter Jupiter, after Venus, is the first star-like object that appears at dusk, glimmering high in the west through much of this month, with the two leading stars of Gemini, Pollux and Castor, floating even higher above it. —Joe Rao, Space.com, 1 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English glimeren; akin to Old English glǣm gleam

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing glimmer

• glimmer/ray of hope

Rhymes for glimmer

• brimmer
• dimmer
• grimmer
• nimmer
• rimmer
• shimmer
• simmer
• skimmer
• slimmer
• swimmer
• timmer
• trimmer

Kids Definition

glimmer

noun

glim·​mer

ˈglim-ər

1

a

: a feeble or unsteady light

b

: a soft shimmer

2

a

: a faint idea : inkling

b

: a small amount : bit

glimmer verb