iridescent
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of iridescent
Explanation
Iridescent is an adjective that means lustrous and pearly, giving off a brilliant sheen like an oil slick or, well, a pearl. Iridescent came to be in 1796, when some enthusiastic word maker took the Latin word iris, which means "rainbow," and morphed it into an English word that describes anything giving off a luminous, rainbow sheen or that changes color in the light. It's a great descriptive word — if you can resist the urge to spell it with an extra "r."
Vocabulary lists containing iridescent
The Old Man and the Sea
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Hunger Games" Vocabulary from Chapter 1
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Secret Life of Bees
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The team found that sea silk's iridescent appearance comes from layered spherical protein structures known as "photonin."
From Science Daily ● Jun. 12, 2026
The photo chosen to represent Swift's image shows her on stage "holding a pink guitar, with a black strap and wearing a multi-colored iridescent bodysuit with silver boots", according to the trademark application.
From BBC ● Apr. 27, 2026
Where her vision clears, she’s in a hall lit by candlelight and crystal chandeliers draped in pearls, dressed in an iridescent gown and jewels evocative of the decade’s New Romantic style.
From Salon ● Jan. 24, 2026
It was “an iridescent bubble floating above the city’s cares,” writes Lyse Doucet in “The Finest Hotel in Kabul.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 20, 2025
Their tails are iridescent green, and their breasts are small and bare.
From "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
