sparkle

play

verb spar·kle \ˈspär-kəl\

Definition of sparkle

sparkled

;

sparkling

play \ˈspär-k(ə-)liŋ\

intransitive verb
1a : to throw out sparksb : to give off or reflect bright moving points of lightc : 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

With sparkling new baseball and football stadiums both coming on line in the last five years and Miami’s downtown thriving, Miami Beach could no longer simply assume the big events will come across the MacArthur.

— adam h. beasley, miamiherald, "‘Baseball theme park’ to test readiness of Miami Beach’s $615M convention center", 5 July 2017
Second of all, how are sparkles going to enhance anyone's orgasms?

— suzannah weiss, Teen Vogue, "Some People Are Putting GLITTER in Their Vaginas", 4 July 2017
A white tuxedo jacket sported an embroidery of a sparkling eye and motifs of moons at different stages of shadow sparkled on a bodice.

— thomas adamson, The Seattle Times, "Art mixes with the aquatic for Paris Couture Week", 3 July 2017
For the purists out there, Air's features an extensive selection of vintage Champagnes in addition to blends and sparkling wines from Italy, Spain, the U.S., and beyond.

— caroline hallemann, Town & Country, "The Champagne Bar of Your Dreams Just Opened in New York City", 29 June 2017
The evening begins with a welcome cocktail of Kentucky Wild Gin, lavender syrup, lemon juice and sparkling wine (recipe below).

— dana mcmahan, The Courier-Journal, "From garden to glass at 610's Garden Cocktail Party", 26 June 2017
Non-beer drinkers will be delighted by self-serve still and sparkling water on tap.

— Los Angeles Magazine, "The 54 Best Things To Do in Downtown L.A. Right Now", 20 June 2017
Fisher's lead guitar sparkled as brilliant as ever.

— matt wake, AL.com, "A guitar Heart took to '70s success has an Alabama connection", 20 June 2017
That The Great Beauty achieves it with visual splendor, infectious party scenes, sparkling wit, poignant asides, and laugh-out-loud satire puts it in a special class of films that aim for excellence in every aspect and deliver.

— conor friedersdorf, The Atlantic, "The Film That’s Missing From the ‘Century’s Greatest’ Lists", 17 June 2017

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!

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

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 spar·kle

Definition of sparkle

1 : a little spark : scintillation
2 : the quality of sparkling
3a : animation, livelinessb : 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

Sprinkle in a bit of seasonally-appropriate sparkle to a fall wedding with a dark golden hue.

— jenna milliner-waddell, ELLE Decor, "30 Gorgeous Fall Wedding Colors For An Unforgettable Day", 5 July 2017
At what point La Cienega became a boulevard is a mystery, but portions of it were first paved in 1923, when much of the Mid City area had that new-home sparkle.

— eric mercado, Los Angeles Magazine, "Know Your Streets: La Cienega", 26 June 2017
A half-block from the glittering, larger-than-life chandelier that hangs over Euclid Avenue, the restaurant Cowell & Hubbard tries to bring its own sparkle to the evening meal.

— debbi snook, cleveland.com, "Cowell & Hubbard seeks the limelight in Cleveland's Playhouse Square (review, photos)", 23 June 2017
Whether cheering from the sidelines, decked out in sparkles and rainbows, or partying it up with your LGBTQ brothers and sisters at a house party, Pride invites daylong imbibing.

— joseph hernandez, chicagotribune.com, "Low-octane, make-ahead cocktails to keep Pride festive yet in control", 16 June 2017
With a little more early season luck, his record would have much more sparkle to it.

— ron higgins, NOLA.com, "LSU football countdown Day 86: Ken Kavanaugh saves the day vs. Rice", 9 June 2017
For the grand final chorus, the lighting changed and the room was lit up with disco-ball sparkles; Dion was on the verge of tears.

— spencer kornhaber, The Atlantic, "Celine Dion Saved the Billboard Music Awards", 22 May 2017
Centrowitz and Brenda Martinez sparkle at the USATF Distance Classic.

— ken goe, OregonLive.com, "Hayward Field crowd favorite English Gardner withdraws from this year's Prefontaine Classic", 21 May 2017
To enhance her stage presence with even more sparkle, Halsey is rocking a custom cape from LA Roxx along with Public Desire shoes.

— nicole saunders, Billboard, "Halsey's 2017 BBMAs Performance Outfit Took 48 Hours to Create: Exclusive", 21 May 2017

Origin and Etymology of sparkle

Middle English, diminutive of sparke

NEW!

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

SPARKLE Defined for English Language Learners

sparkle

play

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

play

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

play

noun spar·kle

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