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glitter

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb glitter contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of glitter are flash, gleam, glimmer, glint, glisten, shimmer, and sparkle. While all these words mean "to send forth light," glitter connotes a brilliant sparkling or gleaming.

glittering diamonds

When might flash be a better fit than glitter?

The synonyms flash and glitter are sometimes interchangeable, but flash implies a sudden outburst of bright light.

lightning flashed

Where would gleam be a reasonable alternative to glitter?

The words gleam and glitter can be used in similar contexts, but gleam suggests a steady light seen through an obscuring medium or against a dark background.

lights gleamed in the valley

When would glimmer be a good substitute for glitter?

In some situations, the words glimmer and glitter are roughly equivalent. However, glimmer suggests a faint or wavering gleam.

a distant glimmering light

In what contexts can glint take the place of glitter?

The meanings of glint and glitter largely overlap; however, glint implies a cold glancing light.

glinting steel

When is it sensible to use glisten instead of glitter?

Although the words glisten and glitter have much in common, glisten applies to the soft sparkle from a wet or oily surface.

glistening wet sidewalk

When can shimmer be used instead of glitter?

While the synonyms shimmer and glitter are close in meaning, shimmer means shining with a wavering light.

a shimmering satin dress

When is sparkle a more appropriate choice than glitter?

The words sparkle and glitter are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, sparkle suggests innumerable moving points of bright light.

the sparkling waters

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of glitter
Verb
But behind all the glam and glitter, there’s a 28-year-old who is still trying to work out how to breathe inside a life that so rarely comes up for air. Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025 Let’s start with the glitter-loving businesswoman who calls herself Sparkle Megan. Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
Perhaps the most famous star cluster in the night sky, the Pleiades, will glitter in the night sky with 'the follower' Aldebaran not far behind it, with the Hyades cluster in Taurus. Harry Bennett, Space.com, 30 Sep. 2025 Cash from the illicit activities had transformed the impoverished border town into a glittering casino city. Helen Regan, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for glitter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for glitter
Verb
  • Elanco's gleaming headquarters stands four stories tall, with floor-to-ceiling blue windows on every side and several balconies that overlook the 75-acre campus and provide an unobstructed view of the downtown skyline.
    Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Brecher's image captured spectacular detail in the sweeping spiral arms of the 260,000 light-year-wide galaxy gleaming with the intense light of star formation.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 28 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Here, makeup artist Melissa Hurkman painted Hilton’s eyes in a charcoal shimmer, carrying the color under her eyes and in her waterline.
    Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 3 Oct. 2025
  • But the Chiefs don't have that same unbeatable shimmer around them right now.
    Austin Mock, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • In 2022, then UK Prime Minister Liz Truss unleashed a wave of market panic with unfunded tax cuts that forced the Bank of England into emergency action after 30-year gilt yields soared by over 100 basis points.
    Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Global long-term bond yields are surging, with U.S. 30-year Treasuries near 5% and U.K. gilts above 5.7%, as investors grow wary of mounting debt and political pressure on central banks.
    Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The Eiffel Tower sparkled in their background as day turned into night.
    Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Your accessories don’t have to be sparkling, brand-new from the newest home decor store.
    Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Perch yourself in the Hollywood Hills and watch as the city twinkles below at night.
    Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 23 Sep. 2025
  • Properties, however, come up for sale in these locations only slightly more frequently than twinkle-eyed half-boy-half-fish creatures emerge from the sea.
    Spencer Elliott, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • On top of that, another potential sell signal is close to being flashed.
    Fred Imbert, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2025
  • In some cases, 3 to 5 inches of rain might be possible, forecasters said, which could lead to flash flooding.
    Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • With a permanent glint in his eye, Philip was the rock that kept Queen Elizabeth smiling.
    Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 28 Sep. 2025
  • Tiny fossils hint at when birds began making their mind-blowing journey to the Arctic to breed Golden autumn sunlight glints through the sedges and shrubs of the tundra in northern Alaska.
    Kate Wong, Scientific American, 16 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • This was translated into disheveled effects and plenty of pajama sets rendered in different ways, from traditional silk twill and crisp poplin to those cut from taffeta or rich in geometric embroidery.
    Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 3 Oct. 2025
  • In Mississippi, the Choctaw Indian Princess is crowned each year at the Choctaw Indian Fair, in which the contestants often make their own garments with elaborate beading and embroidery work.
    Ayana Archie, NPR, 27 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Glitter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/glitter. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.

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