glitter

verb glit·ter \ ˈgli-tər \

Definition of glitter

intransitive verb

1 a :to shine by reflection with many small flashes of brilliant light :sparkle

sequins glittered in the spotlight

b :to shine with strong emotion :flash

eyes glittering in anger

2 :to be brilliantly attractive, lavish, or spectacular; also :to be superficially attractive or exciting

—

glitteringly

play \ˈgli-tə-riŋ-lē\ adverb

See glitter defined for English-language learners

See glitter defined for kids

Examples of glitter in a Sentence

The sequins on her dress glittered in the sun.
Her eyes glittered with intelligence and amusement.

Recent Examples of glitter from the Web

Many of these silver service items are on display, as are the glittering bronze sconces and gilded tables.

— gaile robinson, star-telegram, "Kimbell’s ‘Casanova’ follows the seducer’s trail through Europe – adult-only art and all," 30 Aug. 2017
Inside the pawnshop, glittering vintage and new diamonds and other baubles from the likes of Harry Winston, Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier are tastefully encased in glass.

— sophia kercher, New York Times, "A Birkin Bag in the Box Is Worth a Lifetime of Debt," 21 Aug. 2017
But the clouds weren’t thick enough to obscure the awesome effects: a glittering diamond as the moon covered all but a tip of the sun and then a riot of color from the corona’s ring of fire.

— sharon hoffmann, kansascity, "On one of the nation’s best eclipse party decks, green drinks and big smiles," 21 Aug. 2017
High Rooftop Lounge at Hotel Erwin Venice Most of L.A.’s rooftops can give you views of glittering city lights, but this one also offers Pacific Ocean breezes.

— brittany martin, Los Angeles Magazine, "The 9 Best Rooftop Bars in LA," 15 Aug. 2017
But, having joined the Trump circus as ringmaster, his glittering military credentials will inevitably become tarnished.

— isobel thompson, The Hive, "Will Trumpworld Consume John Kelly?," 4 Aug. 2017
Venezuela was once the continent’s wealthiest nation thanks to its oil riches, and its capital was renowned for its glittering nightlife.

— andrew rosati, Bloomberg.com, "The Manhattan of Venezuela Parties Against a Backdrop of Crisis," 19 July 2017
So go ahead and glitter yourself in environmentally friendly sparkles.

— kirby adams, The Courier-Journal, "Forecastle's great glitter conundrum — go glam and save the planet?," 11 July 2017
Listing image by Mark Walton All that glittersWhat began as a concession to developers had grown into a full-scale gold rush.

— mark walton, Ars Technica, "iPhone at 10: How Apple changed gaming for the better and the worse," 27 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'glitter.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of glitter

Middle English gliteren, perhaps from Old Norse glitra; akin to Old English geolu yellow

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

glitter Synonyms

Synonyms

coruscate, flame, glance, gleam, glimmer, glint, glisten, glister, flash, luster (or lustre), scintillate, shimmer, spangle, sparkle, twinkle, wink, winkle

Related Words

beam, radiate, shine; bedazzle, blind, daze, dazzle; blaze, burn, flare, glare, glow

Synonym Discussion of glitter

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

glitter

noun

Definition of glitter

1 a :sparkling brilliance of something that glitters

b :a bright usually superficial attractiveness

c :the quality of being spectacular

2 :small glittering objects used for ornamentation

—

glittery

play \ˈgli-tə-rē\ adjective

See glitter defined for English-language learners

Examples of glitter in a Sentence

He was drawn to the glitter of the city's nightlife.

Recent Examples of glitter from the Web

Nearby Chamberland stood a father and his young daughter, her face painted to give her a glitter-rich tiger look.

— bill leukhardt, courant.com, "Plainville Hot Air Balloon Festival Lifts Off At Norton Park," 25 Aug. 2017
Tokyoites often stereotype the Osaka-jin style as laden in leopard print and glitter.

— misty white sidell | wwd, latimes.com, "Uncovering Japan’s capital of hidden, indie boutiques," 24 Aug. 2017
According to WWD, as of now the products will be broken down by clean beauty, no-makeup makeup (so, Glossier-esque), and glitter and metallic-finish Insta makeup.

— rachel nussbaum, Glamour, "Bloomingdales Is Opening Beauty Boutiques, and They're Carrying an Insane Amount of Stuff," 18 Aug. 2017
The moon, which is, amazingly, both 400 times smaller than the sun and also 400 times closer to Earth, perfectly blocks the sun, so day turns to night and the sun’s corona glitters in the darkened sky.

— rabbi dan fink, idahostatesman, "Let Monday’s eclipse be a call to action on climate change," 18 Aug. 2017
After feeding and caring for them for months, the children don green ties and khaki pants, brush their livestock with glitter and walk them into the auction ring.

— libby solomon, Howard County Times, "Howard County 4-H livestock sale builds confidence, lifelong friendships," 14 Aug. 2017
Who doesn’t want their own Pat McGrath Labs Lust 004 kit — the glitter lip set that runs upward of $60?

— The Cut, "Here's the Ultimate Cheapie Dupe to Pat McGrath's Glitter Lip Kit," 3 Aug. 2017
Manufacturer MixBin Electronics has announced a recall of nearly 275,000 glitter phone cases after reports that liquid was leaking from them and causing burns and skin irritation.

— lindsey murray, Good Housekeeping, "275K Glitter iPhone Cases Have Been Recalled for Causing Chemical Burns," 2 Aug. 2017
Everything is illuminated as far as the eye can see, and here all that glitters is definitely gold.

— jenny b. davis, star-telegram, "From shimmering sand dunes to glimmering skyscrapers, everything blings in Dubai," 17 July 2017

First Known Use of glitter

1593

GLITTER Defined for English Language Learners

glitter

verb

Definition of glitter for English Language Learners

: to shine brightly : to shine with bright points of light

glitter

noun

Definition of glitter for English Language Learners

: light that shines in small, bright points
: an appealing, fancy, and exciting quality : a glamorous quality
: small, shiny objects used to decorate a surface

GLITTER Defined for Kids

glitter

verb glit·ter \ ˈgli-tər \

Definition of glitter for Students

glittered; glittering

:to sparkle brightly

glitter

noun

Definition of glitter for Students

1 :sparkling brightness

2 :small glittering objects for decoration

—

glittery

\ˈgli-tə-rē\ adjective

Learn More about glitter

See words that rhyme with glitter Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for glitter Spanish Central: Translation of glitter Nglish: Translation of glitter for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of glitter for Arabic speakers

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glitter

Definition of glitter

glitteringly

From the M-W Editors

Examples of glitter in a Sentence

Recent Examples of glitter from the Web

Origin and Etymology of glitter

glitter Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Synonym Discussion of glitter

glitter

Definition of glitter

glittery

Examples of glitter in a Sentence

Recent Examples of glitter from the Web

First Known Use of glitter

GLITTER Defined for English Language Learners

glitter

Definition of glitter for English Language Learners

glitter

Definition of glitter for English Language Learners

GLITTER Defined for Kids

glitter

Definition of glitter for Students

glitter

Definition of glitter for Students

glittery

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