sparkle

[ spahr-kuhl ]

verb (used without object)

, spar·kled, spar·kling.

1. to issue in or as if in little sparks, as fire or light:

   The candlelight sparkled in the crystal.

2. to emit little sparks, as burning matter:

   The flames leaped and sparkled.

3. to shine or glisten with little gleams of light, as a brilliant gem; glitter; coruscate.
4. to effervesce, as wine.
5. to be brilliant, lively, or vivacious.

verb (used with object)

, spar·kled, spar·kling.

1. to cause to sparkle:

   moonlight sparkling the water;

   pleasure sparkling her eyes.

noun

1. a little spark or fiery particle.
2. a sparkling appearance, luster, or play of light:

   the sparkle of a diamond.

   Synonyms: glitter

3. brilliance, liveliness, or vivacity.

sparkle

/ ˈspɑːkəl /

verb

1. to issue or reflect or cause to issue or reflect bright points of light
2. intr (of wine, mineral water, etc) to effervesce
3. intr to be vivacious or witty

noun

1. a point of light, spark, or gleam
2. vivacity or wit

Other Words From

• non·sparkling adjective
• outsparkle verb (used with object) outsparkled outsparkling
• un·sparkling adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sparkle¹

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English (noun and verb); spark ¹, -le

Word History and Origins

Origin of sparkle¹

C12 sparklen, frequentative of sparken to spark ¹

Synonym Study

See glisten.

Example Sentences

In Coralie Fargeat’s blood-soaked fable about fear and self-loathing in Hollywood, Moore plays Elisabeth Sparkle, a faded star who submits to a back-alley rejuvenation regime to reset her career.

From Los Angeles Times

Demi Moore stars as Elisabeth Sparkle, a sort of Jane Fonda-type aerobics star.

From Los Angeles Times

He has such a sparkle in his eye, and a joyful face, but he had a lot of melancholia.

From Salon

“She has real sparkle. It’s going to be fascinating seeing her taking on Starmer,” says another supporter.

From BBC

“She has that sparkle, we’d be in for one heck of a fight with Starmer with her,” one of her supporters tells me.

From BBC

Related Words

• flicker
• gleam
• glimmer
• glint
• glisten
• glow
• scintillate
• shimmer
• twinkle
• wink