sparkle
Americanverb (used without object)
-
sparkles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
sparkled,
past participle, past
-
sparkling
present participle
-
to issue in or as if in little sparks, as fire or light.
The candlelight sparkled in the crystal.
-
to emit little sparks, as burning matter.
The flames leaped and sparkled.
-
to shine or glisten with little gleams of light, as a brilliant gem; glitter; coruscate.
-
to effervesce, as wine.
-
to be brilliant, lively, or vivacious.
verb (used with object)
-
sparkles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
sparkled,
past participle, past
-
sparkling
present participle
noun
-
sparkles
plural
-
a little spark or fiery particle.
-
a sparkling appearance, luster, or play of light.
the sparkle of a diamond.
- Synonyms:
- glitter
-
brilliance, liveliness, or vivacity.
verb
-
to issue or reflect or cause to issue or reflect bright points of light
-
(intr) (of wine, mineral water, etc) to effervesce
-
(intr) to be vivacious or witty
noun
-
a point of light, spark, or gleam
-
vivacity or wit
Synonym Usage
See glisten.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
sparklesimple
-
sparklessimple
-
have sparkledperfect
-
has sparkledperfect
-
am sparklingprogressive
-
are sparklingprogressive
-
is sparklingprogressive
-
have been sparklingperfect progressive
-
has been sparklingperfect progressive
Past
-
sparkledsimple
-
had sparkledperfect
-
was sparklingprogressive
-
were sparklingprogressive
-
had been sparklingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of sparkle
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English (noun and verb); see spark 1, -le
Explanation
Fairy dust, stars, Christmas lights, Hanukkah candles, freshly fallen snow, a lake when the sun hits it just right — all of these things sparkle. That means they shine with a bright, glistening, shimmering light. Sparkle can also refer to joy or merriment. When you're having a really good time, your face will sparkle. As a verb, sparkle means to be lively and excited, or to be so brilliant at something that you shine above the rest. It can also describe something bubbly or foamy — like when you add soap to your bath to make the bathwater sparkle. Sparkle can also describe something that produces sparks — like a magic wand.
Vocabulary lists containing sparkle
NAEP Test Words
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"The Forgotten Treasure" and "There Is No Word for Goodbye"
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"Roberto Clemente: Pride of the Pittsburgh Pirates"
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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.
See Examples For:
The man behind all that sparkle and shine was Bob Mackie.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
“The closest I’ve been able to get to bringing its sparkle back has been no classic, half vanilla, half cinnamon dolce,” one chai lover posted, with roughly 100 messages in response.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
"I just feel like her sparkle lives on in all of us," said Rickards.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
Brilliant blue and white stars sparkle against glowing crimson clouds of hydrogen gas, creating a breathtaking scene that resembles fireworks shining through drifting smoke.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 5, 2026
I bet you need a little shine and sparkle in that dungeon of a school.
From "P.S. I Miss You" by Jen Petro-Roy
Mackie, known widely as the King of Camp, who adorned superstars including Diana Ross, Dolly Parton, Beyoncé and Miley Cyrus with fringe and sparkles, died on Sept. 14 in Palm Springs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
Chunky platform sandals, fitted baby tees, butterfly clips on perfectly crimped hair, brightly patterned skirts and tons of sparkles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
A brilliant field of red, white, and blue stars sparkles across a new image from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, resembling a sparkler glowing against the night sky.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 5, 2026
She grilled Claude for the right combination of swish and sparkles, to the amusement of her nosy older sister.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
Jonas opened his fingers to reveal the stone with the sparkles inside.
From "Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys
In a wry nod to Homer, he gives us a “sea that sparkled like lager.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
Harry Brook sparkled in the Headingley gloom to build England's commanding lead over Pakistan on a shortened second day of the first Test.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Tuesday evening’s April quarter earnings sparkled, as sales of $3 billion and earnings 85 cents a share both surpassed analyst estimates.
From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026
The MacArthur “genius grant” winner sparkled with sartorial edge as he strutted across the stage in a white tuxedo shirt to discuss his book “Emperor of Gladness.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2026
Its perfect triangle peak sparkled in the sun.
From "I Survived the Eruption of Mount St. Helens, 1980" by Lauren Tarshis
It also features sparkling cameos from Penélope Cruz as a sultry cabaret dancer and Glenn Close as a Spanish-speaking American professor.
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026
Previously prom-perfect in a slinky dress, glossy wig and sparkling tiara for a Cinespia screening of the 1976 horror classic “Carrie,” Monáe’s dousing was of her own volition.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
“From its elevated vantage point, the Pacific becomes an ever-changing backdrop, glowing at sunrise, sparkling throughout the day, and transforming beneath spectacular sunsets,” the description continues.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
My fridge is always stocked with: eggs, greens, a lot of Spindrift sparkling water, lemons.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
She saw something sparkling on the carpet and kneeled down for a closer look.
From "Sleepover Sleuths: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #1" by Carolyn Keene
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
