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:
Gloria, vamping and posing and speaking exclusively in italics, is a semi-ridiculous figure who nevertheless gives the otherwise all-male club the sparkle it needs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
The expansion to 48 teams and 104 games, meanwhile, made room for a number of surprises that gave the tournament its life and sparkle.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 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
“That is the grown-up part of the AI story: Less sparkle, more spreadsheet.”
From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026
When Dimple asked why she didn’t just go to his dorm room, she always said, with a sparkle in her eye, Pour cultiver le mystère.
From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon
As I walk into the heart of the 60th Notting Hill Carnival, the sun is shining and bouncing off the sequins, gems and sparkles of the costumes and decorations surrounding me.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 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
He doesn’t read “The Night Before Christmas,” but he sparkles with the magic of the season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 16, 2025
It has gold or silver woven through it and sparkles as she slides it back and forth across her shoulders.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
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
At her funeral, her younger brother Kenley described her as like glitter, because "she sparkled everywhere she went".
From BBC ● Jan. 27, 2026
Cox sparkled for his 53 only to find Wood at long leg in Stokes' afternoon stint.
From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2025
The city sparkled below like a spread of jewels, but now I had an idea what was hidden among the bright lights.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2025
I noticed his hand shook a little, and his eyes sparkled.
From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns
“Sparkling water is water; it’s not a problem if you like sparkling water,” says Kavouras.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
The island, known for its rows of palm trees and sparkling waters, received more than 13 million foreign and domestic visitors last year.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
After that, I’ll shoot over to Los Feliz and go to Maru Coffee and get either a cortado or the espresso, because it comes with a little sparkling water, and a croissant.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
Then came paper towels, Method cleaner, dish soap, lime sparkling water and grapefruit-scented antibacterial wipes.
From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026
In the dim light Anna’s eyes were sparkling; I knew they were filled with tears.
From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff
Definitions 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.
