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.

Synonyms

• nacreous
• opalescent
• pearlescent

Examples of iridescent in a Sentence

an iridescent soap bubble

Recent Examples on the Web

The snakes are known for their sleek, sometimes iridescent bluish-black scales and their ability to reach 9 feet in length, according to the National Park Service. —Olivia Lloyd, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 May 2025

Soon after the kids vacated the stage, there was a tonal 180 as Fox News’ Martha MacCallum interviewed a remote Bret Baier, who had taken his iridescent teeth on assignment to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to interview Trump. —Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2025

An iridescent lacquer like The Siren’s Revenge by Mooncat Nails mimics the motion in the ocean, while crème-finish turquoise tones like Le Mini Macaron’s Blue Vanilla channel calmer seas. —Marianne Mychaskiw, Allure, 9 May 2025

In celebration of Hello Kitty’s 50th anniversary, the truck will be selling limited-edition merchandise, including 50th anniversary-exclusive iridescent totes and hoodies. —Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado, Sacbee.com, 9 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Greek īrid-, îris "rainbow, iridescent halo around the moon, a flame, etc." + -escent — more at iris entry 1

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for iridescent

• acquiescent
• adolescent
• arborescent
• coalescent
• convalescent
• deliquescent
• effervescent
• evanescent
• incandescent
• luminescent
• obsolescent
• opalescent

Kids 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

iridescence

-ᵊn(t)s 

noun