glittering

adjective

glit·​ter·​ing ˈgli-tə-riŋ How to pronounce glittering (audio)
1
a
: shining with many bright points of light
Every few days a little glittering aeroplane appeared in the sky among the clouds and the circling hawks.Doris Lessing
And where the water had been trickling over and spurting through the dam there was now a glittering wall of icicles …C. S. Lewis
b
: shining with strong emotion
… after being misdirected almost consistently, she goes out in glory, with glittering eyes and a lewd smile.Pauline Kael
2
: brilliantly or showily impressive : dazzling
a glittering career
… the company today caters a glittering array of premiere social and corporate galas, from Poughkeepsie to Palm Beach.Robert Masello
also : superficially attractive or exciting
… they left behind the glittering social life of Orlando … Douglas Frantz et al.
glitteringly adverb
His libretto is very bare, a skeleton of short, clear phrases on to which he has grafted slivers of music glitteringly alive thanks to his fine ear for sound. Richard Fairman

Examples of glittering in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Swift channeled a mirrorball in a glittering sequin Balmain gown with Anita Ko jewels and Giuseppe Zanotti heels. Julia Moore, Peoplemag, 1 Dec. 2023 In the decades after the 1949 establishment of the People’s Republic of China, when the mainland was mired in poverty, hundreds of thousands of Chinese are estimated to have risked their lives to reach the glittering shores of what was then a British colony. Chris Lau, CNN, 24 Feb. 2024 Four years after a cloud of particles from deep space cast a glittering purple glow over Earth’s night sky, the Czech government has been the first to step up and launch an investigatory mission, with South Korea nipping at their heels. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2024 The watch evokes the look and feel of an automobile body with its black metallic paint and glittering dial. Anthony Demarco, Forbes, 11 Feb. 2024 The pièce de résistance is an atrium that’s adorned with a glittering Swarovski crystal chandelier. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 9 Jan. 2024 The television personality accessorized her all-purple red carpet ensemble with a glittering purple clutch bag and purple slingback heels that featured a silver embellishment. Kirsty Hatcher, Peoplemag, 7 Dec. 2023 Once inside, the air-kissing (and gossiping) took place under a glittering disco ball that somehow managed to dominate even the 5,000-plus capacity Royal Albert Hall, as the equally glittering fashion crowd took their seats ready for the evening’s proceedings. Liam Hess, Vogue, 5 Dec. 2023 Awards season has been in full swing in the U.K., and the highlight of the month was the glittering Music Industry Trust Awards, held in London last month. Mark Sutherland, Variety, 4 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'glittering.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of glittering was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near glittering

Cite this Entry

“Glittering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glittering. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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