sparkle

1 of 2

verb

spar·​kle ˈspär-kəl 

sparkled; sparkling 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

sparkle

2 of 2

noun

1

: a little spark : scintillation

2

: the quality of sparkling

3

a

: animation, liveliness

b

: the quality or state of being effervescent

Synonyms of sparkle

Verb

• glow
• shine
• spark
• flash

Choose the Right Synonym for 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

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Nearby, large groups sat around communal tables enjoying an aperitivo of sparkling spritzes. —Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 5 Mar. 2026

But despite walking in and feeling like you're transported back in time, with gold fixtures, a stage, and a sparkling curtain from the original Fox Theatre in San Francisco, Grand Lake Theater has kept up with the times. —Amanda Hari, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026

Noun

Rather than stopping at the classic pairing of engagement and wedding band, the Princess of Wales ups the ante (and the sparkle) with a rotation of rings. —Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 7 Mar. 2026

For extra sparkle, a dangly charm hangs from one shoe featuring the original Converse Chuck Taylor logo with Hello Kitty peeking out playfully from the top. —Kelsey Legg, ABC News, 5 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, frequentative of sparken to spark

Noun

Middle English, diminutive of sparke

First Known Use

Verb

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

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for sparkle

• matriarchal
• patriarchal

Kids Definition

sparkle

1 of 2 verb

spar·​kle ˈspär-kəl 

sparkled; sparkling -k(ə-)liŋ 

1

a

: to throw out sparks

b

: to give off small flashes of light

the diamond sparkled

2

: to do or play very well

sparkled at shortstop

3

: effervesce sense 1

sparkling wine

4

: to become lively or active

the conversation sparkled

sparkle

2 of 2 noun

1

: a little flash of light

2

: the quality of sparkling

3

: the quality or state of being effervescent