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shimmer

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb shimmer contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of shimmer are flash, gleam, glimmer, glint, glisten, glitter, and sparkle. While all these words mean "to send forth light," shimmer means shining with a wavering light.

a shimmering satin dress

When is it sensible to use flash instead of shimmer?

The meanings of flash and shimmer largely overlap; however, flash implies a sudden outburst of bright light.

lightning flashed

When can gleam be used instead of shimmer?

While in some cases nearly identical to shimmer, gleam suggests a steady light seen through an obscuring medium or against a dark background.

lights gleamed in the valley

When could glimmer be used to replace shimmer?

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

a distant glimmering light

Where would glint be a reasonable alternative to shimmer?

The words glint and shimmer are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, glint implies a cold glancing light.

glinting steel

In what contexts can glisten take the place of shimmer?

The words glisten and shimmer can be used in similar contexts, but glisten applies to the soft sparkle from a wet or oily surface.

glistening wet sidewalk

When might glitter be a better fit than shimmer?

While the synonyms glitter and shimmer are close in meaning, glitter connotes a brilliant sparkling or gleaming.

glittering diamonds

When would sparkle be a good substitute for shimmer?

Although the words sparkle and shimmer have much in common, 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 shimmer
Verb
The sun had barely risen over the Arabian Sea, casting a pale gold shimmer across the water as a small fishing boat rocked gently on the swells. Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025 The artistry hinged on soft black liner framing the eyes, a pop of copper shimmer on the lids, and skin that radiated health. Essence, 14 Sep. 2025
Noun
Yet the man seen under the shimmering wax seemingly has not used it. Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025 Featuring a high-low skirt, the dress included a semi-sheer style fabric with shimmering rhinestone embellishments at the bustline and just below the waist, offering a stark contrast to the black fabric. Julia Teti, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shimmer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shimmer
Verb
  • Today, the street has been thoroughly modernized, replaced by a gleaming forest of glass towers housing spacious condos with bird’s-eye views and sky-high prices.
    Mark David, Robb Report, 13 Oct. 2025
  • Los Angeles — News of the killings was already spreading as the summer sun began to warm the tennis court behind Jose and Kitty Menendez’s gleaming Beverly Hills mansion on August 21,1989.
    Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Those features then show up at late times, imprinted in the Big Bang’s leftover glow (the cosmic microwave background, or CMB), as well as in the large-scale clustering of galaxies.
    Big Think, Big Think, 17 Oct. 2025
  • The streets are blocked off to outside traffic, which gives those fall Saturdays a nostalgic glow.
    Austin Meek, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Terastalized Sudowoodo wears a glittering armor-like coating that’s topped with leafy flowers, an effect rendered gorgeously thanks to this series’ eye-popping animation.
    Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Draconid meteors appear to streak away from a point of origin — or radiant — located close to the head of the great dragon represented by the constellation Draco, which can be found glittering above the Big Dipper asterism in the northwestern sky after sunset in mid-October.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The six-inch, glare-free display makes reading easier on the eyes and includes a dark mode for nighttime reading.
    Christopher Murray may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom., FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Car traffic, engine noise and the glare of the headlights eventually dissuaded it from crossing the asphalt barrier.
    Ganesh Marín, The Dial, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In her debut as a Victoria’s Secret Angel on Wednesday, Karol G sparkled with more than 197 carats of diamonds on the runway.
    Renan Botelho, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Regardless of your route, the whole way is lined with Douglas fir and lodgepole pine, sparkling alpine lakes, and the jagged peaks that gave the Sawtooths their name.
    Jacqueline Kehoe, AFAR Media, 15 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The model and activist’s boots’ upper carried a subtle sheen that played against a glossy jacket and matching skirt, keeping the outfit tight to a single palette.
    Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2025
  • Neither Waterworld nor Postman turned out to be a career killer, but the sheen was diminished.
    Peter Kiefer, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Troopers were investigating a report of a person lying in the right lane of traffic near a service truck parked on the shoulder with its hazard lights flashing, the release says.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2025
  • That’s a good way to avoid tailgating, flashing lights or a sounding horn — and possible road rage.
    Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Gothic cathedrals, art deco villas, vintage yellow trams, impeccably dressed signore, bright red Negronis glinting in the sun—these are some of the most classic symbols of Milan, but there’s a whole other side to the city, one that’s contemporary, cosmopolitan, and just plain cool.
    Laura Itzkowitz, AFAR Media, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Miles Mykkanen’s Sam gets to unsheathe his glinting high tenor, and Lauren Snouffer’s 14-year-old Sarah tosses her lithe soprano voice into airborne vaults.
    Justin Davidson, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Shimmer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shimmer. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.

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