iridescent
adjective
ir·i·des·cent
ˌir-ə-ˈde-sᵊnt 
: having or exhibiting iridescence
iridescently
adverb
Did you know?
Iris, the Greek goddess of the rainbow, took messages from Mount Olympus to earth, and from gods to mortals or other gods, using the rainbow as her stairway. Iridescence is thus the glowing, shifting, colorful quality of a rainbow, also seen in an opal, a light oil slick, a butterfly wing, or the mother-of-pearl that lines an oyster shell.
Examples of iridescent in a Sentence
an iridescent soap bubble
Recent Examples on the Web
Her acrylic nails were also the star of the show, square-cut and painted in an ombré red and gold on one hand and an iridescent amber on the other.
—
Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 10 June 2025
Death Becomes Her star (and former third of Destiny’s Child) Michelle Williams attended the awards in a less dramatic, yet classic beauty moment: an iridescent purple manicure and smoky shadow paired with a natural silk press.
—India Espy-Jones, Essence, 9 June 2025
Its tail feathers are iridescent and appear to change color depending on the angle of light, a trait caused by microscopic structures rather than pigmentation.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
Laid out in the Research Center, the frock’s silk taffeta looks almost iridescent up close.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for iridescent
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Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 10 June 2025
Death Becomes Her star (and former third of Destiny’s Child) Michelle Williams attended the awards in a less dramatic, yet classic beauty moment: an iridescent purple manicure and smoky shadow paired with a natural silk press.
—India Espy-Jones, Essence, 9 June 2025
Its tail feathers are iridescent and appear to change color depending on the angle of light, a trait caused by microscopic structures rather than pigmentation.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
Laid out in the Research Center, the frock’s silk taffeta looks almost iridescent up close.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for iridescent
Cite this Entry
“Iridescent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/iridescent. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
iridescent
adjective
ir·i·des·cent
ˌir-ə-ˈdes-ᵊnt
: having or showing iridescence
iridescently
adverb
Medical Definition
iridescent
adjective
ir·i·des·cent
ˌir-ə-ˈdes-ᵊnt
: having or exhibiting a display of colors producing rainbow effects
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