shimmer

[shim-er]

verb (used without object)

1. to shine with or reflect a subdued, tremulous light; gleam faintly.

   Synonyms: glimmer

2. to appear to quiver or vibrate in faint light or while reflecting heat waves.

noun

1. a subdued, tremulous light or gleam.

2. a quivering or vibrating motion or image as produced by reflecting faint light or heat waves.

shimmer

/ ˈʃɪmə /

verb

1. (intr) to shine with a glistening or tremulous light

noun

1. a faint, glistening, or tremulous light

Other Word Forms

• shimmeringly adverb
• unshimmering adjective
• unshimmeringly adverb
• shimmering adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of shimmer¹

First recorded before 1100; Middle English schimeren, s(c)hemeren, Old English scimrian; cognate with Dutch schemeren, German schimmern “to glisten”

Word History and Origins

Origin of shimmer¹

Old English scimerian; related to Middle Low German schēmeren to grow dark, Old Norse skimi brightness

Synonym Study

See glisten.

Example Sentences

The robots worked the fields and machines and livestock, their bodies shining in the sun, shimmering in the heat.

Read more on Literature

Nearby, Yang Bao’s “Hyperspace,” a gold, mirrored pyramid accompanied by gleaming shards, nestled in a former lavender field, shimmers amid thyme, gingko, California poppies and native grasses, accompanied by haunting, and constantly mutating, music.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The same shimmering effect that makes distant horizons appear wavy on a hot day causes starlight to flicker and distort as it travels through the air.

Read more on Science Daily

From its display case in the museum’s “Stories from Mesoamerica” hall, the iridescent plumage shimmers like a rainbow encased in glass, a tropical interloper to these northern climes.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

On the connected monitor, flakes shimmer and shift between hues of red, green, and gold as they move across the surface.

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

• gleam 
• glint 
• glow 
• shine 
• sparkle 
• twinkle