twinkle

1 of 2

verb

twin·​kle ˈtwiŋ-kəl How to pronounce twinkle (audio)
twinkled; twinkling ˈtwiŋ-k(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce twinkle (audio)

intransitive verb

1
: to shine with a flickering or sparkling light : scintillate
2
a
: to appear bright especially with merriment
his eyes twinkled
b
: to flutter the eyelids
3
: to flutter or flit rapidly

transitive verb

1
: to cause to shine with fluctuating light
2
: to flicker or flirt rapidly
twinkled the straight, red-lacquered toesGlenway Wescott
twinkler noun

twinkle

2 of 2

noun

1
: an intermittent radiance : flicker, sparkle
2
: a rapid flashing motion : flit
3
: a wink of the eyelids
4
: the instant's duration of a wink : twinkling
twinkly adjective

Examples of twinkle in a Sentence

Verb The lights of the city twinkled in the distance. Stars twinkle in the night sky. Her eyes twinkled with excitement. Noun We saw the twinkle of a candle in the window. in just a twinkle, the shooting star was gone
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Scored by a twinkling piano, a montage shows highlights from her career: appearing for the first time on The Tonight Show, coming out on her eponymous sitcom, voicing Finding Nemo’s Dory, hosting the Oscars. Fran Hoepfner, The Atlantic, 26 Sep. 2024 Is there a traveler in this world who doesn’t fantasize about the city’s grand boulevards, twinkling lights, bustling bistros, and, yes, fabulous hotels? Siobhan Reid, Travel + Leisure, 9 July 2024
Noun
Order a glass of Chablis, grab a table flanking the garden, and watch the Iron Lady twinkle into the night sky. Vogue, 8 July 2024 Colored lights, flameless candles, and twinkle lights weaving through your Halloween decor are great options. Holly Garcia, Parents, 20 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for twinkle 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'twinkle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English twinclian; akin to Middle High German zwinken to blink

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of twinkle was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near twinkle

Cite this Entry

“Twinkle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/twinkle. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

twinkle

1 of 2 verb
twin·​kle ˈtwiŋ-kəl How to pronounce twinkle (audio)
twinkled; twinkling -k(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce twinkle (audio)
1
: to shine or cause to shine with a flickering or sparkling light
2
: to appear bright with amusement
his eyes twinkled
3
: to move or flutter rapidly
twinkler noun

twinkle

2 of 2 noun
1
: a very short time
2
twinkly adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on twinkle

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