sparkle

verb spar·kle \ ˈspär-kəl \

Updated on: 25 Apr 2018

Definition of sparkle

sparkled; sparkling play \ˈspär-k(ə-)liŋ\

intransitive verb

1 a : to throw out sparks

b : to give off or reflect bright moving points of light

c : to perform brilliantly

2 : effervesce

wine that sparkles

3 : to become lively or animated

the dialogue sparkles with wit

eyes sparkling with anger

transitive verb

: to cause to glitter or shine

—

sparkly

play \ˈspär-k(ə-)lē\ adjective

See sparkle defined for English-language learners

See sparkle defined for kids

Examples of sparkle in a Sentence

The dancers sparkled on stage.
Her eyes sparkled with pride.

Recent Examples of sparkle from the Web

The laurel is bestowed every quarter to commercial kitchens that sparkle.

— anne saker, Cincinnati.com, "Who's got the cleanest kitchens in Hamilton County?," 17 Apr. 2018
And on the walls in between, in frame after frame, was sparkling, spirited art.

— silvia foster-frau, San Antonio Express-News, "Tiny preschoolers showcase big art at Pre-K fundraiser," 13 Apr. 2018
Water was sparkling on young trees, and in several yards ripe persimmons glowed on the trees.

— aaron gilbreath, Longreads, "As Innocuous as Plant No. 1," 10 Apr. 2018
When the time was right, Emmanuel pressed ahead and finally opened his eatery, painting the walls in neutral tones adorned with Greek proverbs instead of sparkling white and Aegean blue.

— ann trieger kurland, BostonGlobe.com, "Authentic Greek to grab and go at the Grape Leaf," 2 Apr. 2018
At just five stories, the coffer of pale, sparkling concrete glimmers like mercury against a backdrop of matte towers.

— justin davidson, Daily Intelligencer, "How Can It Take 15 Years and $32 Million to Build a Neighborhood Library?," 29 Mar. 2018
Since a less-than-stellar opening victory over Luke List, who putted with a wedge after compromising his putter on the seventh hole, Thomas has been in sparkling form.

— daniel rapaport, SI.com, "Justin Thomas Can Become World No. 1 With Win Over Bubba Watson at WGC-Dell Match Play," 24 Mar. 2018
Lovable perfectionist Twilight Sparkle gets a gorgeous purple mask full of — what else? — sparkles.

— marci robin, Allure, "GlamGlow to Launch My Little Pony Face Masks in April," 16 Mar. 2018
Cold cuts sparkled with moisture and true meat flavors.

— debbi snook, cleveland.com, "Cleveland's Fluffy Duck Cafe specializes in croissants, breads (photos, review)," 5 Apr. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of sparkle

Middle English, frequentative of sparken to spark

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

See Words from the same year

sparkle Synonyms

Synonyms

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

Related Words

beam, radiate, shine;

bedazzle, blind, daze, dazzle;

blaze, burn, flare, glare, glow;

Synonym Discussion of sparkle

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

sparkle

noun

Definition of sparkle

1 : a little spark : scintillation

2 : the quality of sparkling

3 a : animation, liveliness

b : the quality or state of being effervescent

See sparkle defined for English-language learners

Examples of sparkle in a Sentence

The sun reflected off the water in bright sparkles of light.
He caught the sparkle of her diamond out of the corner of his eye.
a performance full of sparkle and originality
the sparkle in her eyes

Recent Examples of sparkle from the Web

If someone wants to really go all out, there’s the Fairy Bear Deluxe Gift Set that includes Fairy Bear fully decked out in fantastical attire — light-up fairy wings, princess wand, and fairy sparkle flats included.

— lindsey murray, Good Housekeeping, "Build-A-Bear Now Has a Unicorn That You Can Dress in Magical Accessories," 11 Apr. 2018
The color adds depth and dimension, while the hint of sparkle keeps everything looking fresh.

— lauren hubbard, Teen Vogue, "The Best Beauty Looks From EXO-CBX Blooming Day Music Video," 10 Apr. 2018
By the way, the redone Green Room is quite the sight — the pale green walls and gold trim sparkle in the daylight and are even more spectacular at night.

— willie brown, San Francisco Chronicle, "Trump shuts up about Stormy Daniels. It’s doing him good," 31 Mar. 2018
Rock On Yes, crystals can add color, sparkle, and shine to your home.

— allison young, Sunset, "Your Guide to Healing Stones and Crystals," 22 Jan. 2018
The sparkles will then carry over into your tweet, creating a very pure optical illusion.

— emily wang, Teen Vogue, "The Sparkle Meme Has Taken Over Twitter," 6 Apr. 2018
Glitter beers have the hazy luster of a Northeast IPA but the sparkle of a glitter bomb.

— kathy flanigan, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Wisconsin welcomes glitter beer and it's just as pretty as you might imagine," 6 Apr. 2018
There's one that is extremely nude but its sheer with a gold sparkle in it.

— sophia panych, Allure, "Exclusive: Mario Dedivanovic Shares the Secrets Behind the KKW Beauty x Mario Collaboration," 4 Apr. 2018
As with any Apple event, this one was full of sparkle and shine.

— arielle pardes, WIRED, "How Apple Lost Its Place in the Classroom," 28 Mar. 2018

Origin and Etymology of sparkle

Middle English, diminutive of sparke

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

SPARKLE Defined for English Language Learners

sparkle

verb

Definition of sparkle for English Language Learners

: to produce small flashes of light
: to perform very well
: to be or become bright and lively

sparkle

noun

Definition of sparkle for English Language Learners

: a small flash of bright light
: a lively quality

SPARKLE Defined for Kids

sparkle

verb spar·kle \ ˈspär-kəl \

Definition of sparkle for Students

sparkled; sparkling

1 : to give off small flashes of light

The diamond sparkled.

2 : to be lively or bright

The conversation sparkled.

His eyes sparkled.

sparkle

noun

Definition of sparkle for Students

1 : a little flash of light

sparkles of red light

2 : the quality of being bright or giving off small flashes of light

the sparkle of a diamond

the sparkle of her eyes

Learn More about sparkle

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

Seen and Heard

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sparkle

Definition of sparkle

sparkly

Examples of sparkle in a Sentence

Recent Examples of sparkle from the Web

Origin and Etymology of sparkle

sparkle Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Synonym Discussion of sparkle

sparkle

Definition of sparkle

Examples of sparkle in a Sentence

Recent Examples of sparkle from the Web

Origin and Etymology of sparkle

SPARKLE Defined for English Language Learners

sparkle

Definition of sparkle for English Language Learners

sparkle

Definition of sparkle for English Language Learners

SPARKLE Defined for Kids

sparkle

Definition of sparkle for Students

sparkle

Definition of sparkle for Students

Learn More about sparkle

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