sparkled; sparkling
ˈspär-k(ə-)liŋ 
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
: to cause to glitter or shine
1
: a little spark : scintillation
2
: the quality of sparkling
3
a
b
: the quality or state of being effervescent
Synonyms
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
Christianna Silva, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Apr. 2024
And his keyboard work was rarely less than sparkling.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2024
The Ghost actress, 61, left little to the imagination wearing a sheer silver mesh gown with sparkling details to the opening of the From the Heart to the Hands: Dolce & Gabbanaexhibition at Milan's Palazzo Reale on Saturday, April 6.
—Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 7 Apr. 2024
Everything is designed to sparkle, from the show-stopping crystal sculpture in the entrance to the state-of-the-art rooms with mini-bars stocked according to guest preferences, and convenient amenities like nail dryers in the dressing rooms.
—Amy Louise Bailey, Travel + Leisure, 22 Mar. 2024
The actress launched her Betty sparkling beverage company in 2021.
—Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2024
This recipe from Austin bar owner Chris Marshall uses juniper syrup, a cranberry sparkling beverage, and zero-alcohol gin.
—Michelle Darrisaw, Southern Living, 11 Apr. 2024
Beyond 350 days of sunshine per year, there are so many reasons to visit Palm Springs: sparkling pools, mid-century architecture, world-class events, arts and culture, and a thriving food scene (to name merely a few).
—Alesandra Dubin, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2024
Then the 10-year-old ran across the grass to her little sister, tilting her head to show how her face sparkled in the sunlight.
—Ellie Silverman, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
Debbie Frank, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024
Amongst all the glitz and sparkle of Paris Couture Week back in January, one piece stood out.
—Kate Matthams, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
Come for the transformations, stay for the sparkle.
—USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2024
But Cheers’ most impressive feat is never once losing its sparkle across 11 seasons.
—Kevin Jacobsen and Hope Lasater, EW.com, 21 Mar. 2024
Make the beach sparkle in Ventura Help keep our precious coast pristine by joining a beach cleanup effort at the Channel Islands National Park.
—Michael Charboneau, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024
Lloyd says, a sparkle in his eyes coming from behind his stylish round glasses.
—Steve Hochman, SPIN, 19 Mar. 2024
As if the shimmering metallic fabric wasn’t enough sparkle, the plunging sweetheart neckline, straps, hem, and empire waist were all lined in rows of red rhinestones.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2024
There are blue seats at the bar, one wall that looks like a lava lamp, one wall with sparkles, an inflatable alien and lamps that look like circular spaceships.
—Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Feb. 2024
Verb
Top off the glass with your favorite spritz ingredients or sparkling water.
—Christianna Silva, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Apr. 2024
And his keyboard work was rarely less than sparkling.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2024
The Ghost actress, 61, left little to the imagination wearing a sheer silver mesh gown with sparkling details to the opening of the From the Heart to the Hands: Dolce & Gabbanaexhibition at Milan's Palazzo Reale on Saturday, April 6.
—Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 7 Apr. 2024
Everything is designed to sparkle, from the show-stopping crystal sculpture in the entrance to the state-of-the-art rooms with mini-bars stocked according to guest preferences, and convenient amenities like nail dryers in the dressing rooms.
—Amy Louise Bailey, Travel + Leisure, 22 Mar. 2024
The actress launched her Betty sparkling beverage company in 2021.
—Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2024
This recipe from Austin bar owner Chris Marshall uses juniper syrup, a cranberry sparkling beverage, and zero-alcohol gin.
—Michelle Darrisaw, Southern Living, 11 Apr. 2024
Beyond 350 days of sunshine per year, there are so many reasons to visit Palm Springs: sparkling pools, mid-century architecture, world-class events, arts and culture, and a thriving food scene (to name merely a few).
—Alesandra Dubin, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2024
Then the 10-year-old ran across the grass to her little sister, tilting her head to show how her face sparkled in the sunlight.
—Ellie Silverman, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
Noun
Sagittarius April’s romantic sparkle encourages you to live life to the full, Sagittarius.
—Debbie Frank, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024
Amongst all the glitz and sparkle of Paris Couture Week back in January, one piece stood out.
—Kate Matthams, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
Come for the transformations, stay for the sparkle.
—USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2024
But Cheers’ most impressive feat is never once losing its sparkle across 11 seasons.
—Kevin Jacobsen and Hope Lasater, EW.com, 21 Mar. 2024
Make the beach sparkle in Ventura Help keep our precious coast pristine by joining a beach cleanup effort at the Channel Islands National Park.
—Michael Charboneau, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024
Lloyd says, a sparkle in his eyes coming from behind his stylish round glasses.
—Steve Hochman, SPIN, 19 Mar. 2024
As if the shimmering metallic fabric wasn’t enough sparkle, the plunging sweetheart neckline, straps, hem, and empire waist were all lined in rows of red rhinestones.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2024
There are blue seats at the bar, one wall that looks like a lava lamp, one wall with sparkles, an inflatable alien and lamps that look like circular spaceships.
—Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sparkle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near sparkle
Cite this Entry
“Sparkle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sparkle. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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 noun1
: a little flash of light
2
: the quality of sparkling
3
: the quality or state of being effervescent
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share