sparkle

verb
spar·​kle | \ ˈspär-kəl How to pronounce sparkle (audio) \
sparkled; sparkling\ ˈspär-​k(ə-​)liŋ How to pronounce sparkling (audio) \

Definition of sparkle

 (Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1a : 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

sparkle

noun

Definition of sparkle (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : a little spark : scintillation
2 : the quality of sparkling
b : the quality or state of being effervescent

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Synonyms for sparkle

Synonyms: Verb

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Choose the Right Synonym for sparkle

Verb

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

Examples of sparkle in a Sentence

Verb The dancers sparkled on stage. Her eyes sparkled with pride. Noun 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
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Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Farther up the road, views of Scott Reservoir, Show Low Lake and the wetlands of Jacques Marsh sparkle through acres of pine forests and rangelands. Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, "Enjoy White Mountains views for miles on this not-too-crowded hike. Here's how to do it," 7 Aug. 2020 More data on either the mesosphere or the auroral dunes themselves will likely shed some literal light on the other—and perhaps some of the other cosmic phenomena that sparkle through our skies. Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian Magazine, "A New Type of Aurora Ripples Across the Sky in Horizontal Green ‘Dunes’," 29 Jan. 2020 These earrings are perfect for everyday and particularly sparkle when paired with a white dress. Tonne Goodman, Vogue, "Then and Now with Tonne Goodman – Summer’s Best Dress Gets a Sustainable Update," 3 Aug. 2020 Fourth of July Captions Inspired by Fireworks Keep calm and sparkle on. Selena Barrientos, Good Housekeeping, "60 Cute 4th of July Instagram Captions That Will Get All the Likes," 1 July 2020 Amelia sparkle necklace, STELLA AND DOT, $129, stelladot.com. Redbook, "Meet the 2017 Winners of Redbook's Real Women Style Awards!," 3 Aug. 2017 Lakes that can sparkle in summertime include Wallace and Shadow lakes, Strawberry Pond and the Lakefront Reservation, where panfish — especially jumbo rock bass — roam the breakwalls and shallow areas. cleveland, "Catfish, walleye limits to be liberalized: Northeast Ohio fishing report for Thursday, July 9," 9 July 2020 Simple cars and trucks, on the other hand, can't afford to sparkle with glitzy, microchipped wonders. John Pearley Huffman, Car and Driver, "Looking to Buy or Lease? A Word of Advice," 3 July 2020 The two became friends and then lovers, writing letters that sparkle with affection alongside discussions of politics, literature, and philosophy. National Geographic, "They lived, they died, but 'Hamilton' didn't tell their story," 26 June 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun So Akers looked for whimsical costumes with a shine/sparkle element. Marcus Jones, EW.com, "Black Is King costume designer breaks down six striking Beyoncé outfits," 6 Aug. 2020 For any type of stone, however, slathering on sanitizer can leave a filmy residue on the ring's surface that dulls its sparkle. Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, "Can Hand Sanitizer Ruin Your Rings?," 6 July 2020 Shop this sparkle at pretty much any Target, Walmart, Walgreens, etc. Kelsey Stiegman, Seventeen, "15 Best Lip Glosses That Will Make You Feel Like You're In a '90s Music Video," 12 June 2020 Blackmon showers, carefully applies powder-blue eyeshadow in the bathroom mirror, and marbles her lips with a muted sparkle gloss. Jason Parham, Wired, "TikTok and the Evolution of Digital Blackface," 4 Aug. 2020 And, on the top of sparkle, make sure to scoop up with unscented laundry detergent from one of our favorite New York destinations, The Package Free Shop. Tonne Goodman, Vogue, "Then and Now with Tonne Goodman – Summer’s Best Dress Gets a Sustainable Update," 3 Aug. 2020 Bleu Dazzled is responsible for the sparkle and shine that Bey brought to this fashion moment. Andrea Wurzburger, PEOPLE.com, "All of Beyoncé's Must-See Style Moments from Her New Visual Album Black Is King," 31 July 2020 Add pink self-adhesive sequins by your collar bone for more sparkle. Shanon Maglente, Good Housekeeping, "15 DIY Unicorn Costumes You Can Make At Home for the Most Magical Halloween Ever," 27 July 2020 This drugstore palette gives all the sparkle and pigmentation of the $$$ options, but for a fraction of the price. Kelsey Stiegman, Seventeen, "Seventeen's 2020 Beauty Awards," 28 May 2020

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.

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First Known Use of sparkle

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for sparkle

Verb

Middle English, frequentative of sparken to spark

Noun

Middle English, diminutive of sparke

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Time Traveler for sparkle

Time Traveler

The first known use of sparkle was in the 13th century

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Statistics for sparkle

Last Updated

20 Aug 2020

Cite this Entry

“Sparkle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sparkle. Accessed 22 Aug. 2020.

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More Definitions for sparkle

sparkle

verb
How to pronounce sparkle (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of sparkle

 (Entry 1 of 2)

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

sparkle

noun

English Language Learners Definition of sparkle (Entry 2 of 2)

: a small flash of bright light
: a lively quality

sparkle

verb
spar·​kle | \ ˈspär-kəl How to pronounce sparkle (audio) \
sparkled; sparkling

Kids Definition of sparkle

 (Entry 1 of 2)

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

Kids Definition of sparkle (Entry 2 of 2)

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

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More from Merriam-Webster on 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

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