flicker

[ flik-er ]

/ ˈflɪk ər /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR flicker ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object)

to burn unsteadily; shine with a wavering light: The candle flickered in the wind and went out.

to move to and fro; vibrate; quiver: The long grasses flickered in the wind.

to flutter.

verb (used with object)

to cause to flicker.

noun

an unsteady flame or light.

a flickering movement.

a brief occurrence or appearance: a flicker of hope.

Often flickers. Slang. flick².

Ophthalmology. the visual sensation of flickering that occurs when the interval between intermittent flashes of light is too long to permit fusion.

Nearby words

flichter, flick, flick knife, flick-knife, flick-pass, flicker, flickertail, flickertail state, flied, flier, flies

Origin of flicker

before 1000; Middle English flikeren (v.) Old English flicorian to flutter; cognate with Dutch flikkeren

SYNONYMS FOR flicker

1 flare, flash, gleam, shimmer.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR flicker ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

flick·er·ing·ly, adverbflick·er·y, adjectiveun·flick·er·ing, adjectiveun·flick·er·ing·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for flickering

He gazed at the flowers and the flickering candles, clearly moved.
'Please Don't Die!': The Frantic Battle to Save Murdered Cops|Michael Daly|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One well-known work, “Exploded Views” (2011), features 2,880 seemingly random, flickering LED lights.
Art Goes High-Tech at These Four Innovative Exhibits|Justin Jones|May 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The best ones have a view of the murals or are near the pretty glass cabinet filled with flickering candles.
Where to Fall in Love—or Just Get Drunk—on Valentine’s Day|Condé Nast Traveler|February 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Dusty paths lined with flickering orange lanterns led us to our final camp, a slice of dramatic Arabian luxury.
On Foot in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco|Joanna Eede|January 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST

For these boys, the man leans in and shines a flickering red light in their faces.
‘Web Junkie’ Is a Harrowing Documentary on China’s Internet Addiction Rehab Clinics|Marlow Stern|January 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The flickering, blurred flames of gas-lamps seemed to be dissolving in a watery atmosphere.
The Secret Agent|Joseph Conrad
In a moment more he caught glimpses of a flickering light approaching.
Marching on Niagara|Edward Stratemeyer
The glimmering lamp overhead cast its flickering light over both of them.
A Woman's Burden|Fergus Hume
"There aren't many of the Earth-born left now," Bob Craig said to him one night as they sat in the flickering light of a stove.
Space Prison|Tom Godwin
By this time they were within a hundred yards of the flickering fires.
Wyandotte|James Fenimore Cooper

British Dictionary definitions for flickering (1 of 2)

flicker

/ (ˈflɪkə) /

verb

(intr) to shine with an unsteady or intermittent lighta candle flickers

(intr) to move quickly to and fro; quiver, flutter, or vibrate

(tr) to cause to flicker

noun

an unsteady or brief light or flame

a swift quivering or fluttering movement

a visual sensation, often seen in a television image, produced by periodic fluctuations in the brightness of light at a frequency below that covered by the persistence of vision

the flicker (plural) a US word for flick 2 (def. 2)

Derived Forms

flickeringly, adverbflickery, adjective

Word Origin for flicker

Old English flicorian; related to Dutch flikkeren, Old Norse flökra to flutter

British Dictionary definitions for flickering (2 of 2)

flicker

/ (ˈflɪkə) /

noun

any North American woodpecker of the genus Colaptes, esp C. auratus (yellow-shafted flicker), which has a yellow undersurface to the wings and tail

Word Origin for flicker

C19: perhaps imitative of the bird's call

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012