twinkle

verb twin·kle \ ˈtwiŋ-kəl \

Updated on: 17 Apr 2018

Definition of twinkle

twinkled; twinkling play \-k(ə-)liŋ\

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 toes
—Glenway Wescott

—

twinkler

play \-k(ə-)lər\ noun

See twinkle defined for English-language learners

See twinkle defined for kids

Examples of twinkle in a Sentence

The lights of the city twinkled in the distance.
Stars twinkle in the night sky.
Her eyes twinkled with excitement.

Recent Examples of twinkle from the Web

When the show first hit the airwaves in 2007, Twitter was just an infant and Instagram and Snapchat were still twinkles in their creators' eyes.

— elahe izadi, chicagotribune.com, "The 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians' episode about Khloe giving birth will be bonkers," 12 Apr. 2018
There’s something about the 200 miles of twinkling Pacific Ocean coastline, or the sunshine, or the soft sandy beaches, or access to top-notch Mexican food that appeals to people.

— natalie b. compton, GQ, "Skip Tulum and Go to Riviera Nayarit, Mexico's Lesser-Known Beach Haven," 8 Mar. 2018
By 1875, wallpaper patterns in one self-portrait take on abstract lives of their own; in another that year, his palette brightens and twinkles, as Impressionistic brushstrokes free themselves from descriptive contours and sculptural mass.

— lance esplund, WSJ, "Cézanne’s Colorful Coterie," 28 Mar. 2018
The twinkling Body Lava formula looks like a liquid version of the popular Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter.

— devon abelman, Allure, "Rihanna Teases Shimmery New Fenty Beauty Product Called Body Lava," 26 Mar. 2018
There is, for instance, a twinkling chess set made entirely from crystal, and a thick crystal crescent that was later taken to Europe and incorporated into the finial of a priest’s chair.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "Landmark Exhibition Takes You Inside the Exuberant, Diverse World of the Fatimid Dynasty," 21 Mar. 2018
The night sky, ablaze with countless stars visible right down to the horizon, twinkles in an amazing spectacle as Jupiter dances with nearby Venus.

— martin j. van kranendonk, Scientific American, "Life on Earth Came from a Hot Volcanic Pool, Not the Sea, New Evidence Suggests," 22 Aug. 2017
There are trees festooned with twinkling white lights, parking lots, upscale chain restaurants.

— devra first, BostonGlobe.com, "At Mastro’s Ocean Club and LoLa 42 in the Seaport, an escape from the known city," 12 Mar. 2018
Outstretched arms waved twinkling cellphones in the air.

— erika pesantes, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Amid darkness of Parkland school massacre, student songwriters 'Shine' their light," 3 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'twinkle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of twinkle

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

twinkle Synonyms

Synonyms

coruscate, flame, flash, glance, gleam, glimmer, glint, glisten, glister, glitter, luster (or lustre), scintillate, shimmer, spangle, sparkle, wink, winkle;

Related Words

beam, radiate, shine;

bedazzle, blind, daze, dazzle;

blaze, burn, flare, glare, glow;

twinkle

noun

Definition of twinkle

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

play \-k(ə-)lē\ adjective

See twinkle defined for English-language learners

Examples of twinkle in a Sentence

We saw the twinkle of a candle in the window.
in just a twinkle, the shooting star was gone

Recent Examples of twinkle from the Web

Long before the Edmunds brothers were a twinkle in their father’s eye, Ferrell Edmunds was a rising star for the Miami Dolphins.

— adam h. beasley, miamiherald, "This sensational talent — and likely top 10 pick — could follow his dad to Miami | Miami Herald," 9 Apr. 2018
In fact, the revival of one of the most popular hairstyles of the '90s — the blunt bob — has been a long time coming, a twinkle in the eye of Hollywood A-listers, social-media influencers, and beauty editors everywhere.

— refinery29.com, "The '90s Bob Every Celebrity Is Getting For Spring," 22 Mar. 2018
But marshmallow Peeps were just a twinkle in some brilliant businessman’s eye when Christians began celebrating Jesus’s resurrection centuries ago.

— meghan overdeep, Southern Living, "The Fascinating, Fantastical History of the Easter Basket," 12 Mar. 2018
But then, somewhere along the way, with a twinkle in her eye and a little wobble of those glossy lips, Sridevi subtly turned the tables.

— deepanjana pal, The Atlantic, "How Bollywood's Sridevi Should Be Remembered," 1 Mar. 2018
On a quiet, chilly Wednesday night in Hoover's oldest mountain town, a songwriter steps out on to a modest stage adorned with twinkle lights, navy drapes, and not much else.

— birmingham magazine, AL.com, "Love in Leaps in Bounds: See one professional dancer's gorgeous wedding," 28 Feb. 2018
Some people don't raise their hands enough and think the teacher is going to see a twinkle in their eye, tell the rest of the class to quiet down and hand them the white board marker.

— colin stutz, Billboard, "Spotlight: 'The Hard Times' Founder Matt Saincome on Turning Punk Into Comedy & Developing a New TV Show," 22 Feb. 2018
Twas not my charming personality, the twinkle in my eye, nor my rapacious wit — the blue hair strikes again.

— sable yong, Allure, "Gentleman Prefer Blues: How Blue Hair Became My Inadvertent Siren Call," 21 Feb. 2018
As Paris’ famed landmark began its hourly twinkle, models emerged through a smoke-machine fog.

— carolina o'neill, Marie Claire, "Anthony Vaccarello Is Putting His Own Stamp on Saint Laurent," 15 Feb. 2018

First Known Use of twinkle

1548

in the meaning defined at sense 3

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

twinkle Synonyms

TWINKLE Defined for Kids

twinkle

verb twin·kle \ ˈtwiŋ-kəl \

Definition of twinkle for Students

twinkled; twinkling

1 : to shine or cause to shine with a flickering or sparkling light

Stars twinkle in the sky.

2 : to appear bright with amusement

His eyes twinkled at the joke.

3 : to move or flutter rapidly

twinkle

noun

Definition of twinkle for Students

1 : ²sparkle 1, flicker

2 : a very short time

Learn More about twinkle

See words that rhyme with twinkle Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for twinkle Spanish Central: Translation of twinkle Nglish: Translation of twinkle for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of twinkle for Arabic speakers

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twinkle

Definition of twinkle

twinkler

Examples of twinkle in a Sentence

Recent Examples of twinkle from the Web

Origin and Etymology of twinkle

twinkle Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

twinkle

Definition of twinkle

twinkly

Examples of twinkle in a Sentence

Recent Examples of twinkle from the Web

First Known Use of twinkle

twinkle Synonyms

Synonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Phrases Related to TWINKLE

Related Phrases

TWINKLE Defined for Kids

twinkle

Definition of twinkle for Students

twinkle

Definition of twinkle for Students

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