shimmer

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