flicker
1 Americanverb (used without object)
-
flickers,
present (3rd person singular)
-
flickered,
past participle, past
-
flickering
present participle
-
to burn unsteadily; shine with a wavering light; blink on and off.
The candle flickered in the draft and went out.
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to move to and fro; vibrate; quiver.
The long grasses flickered in the wind.
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to flutter.
Her eyelids flickered, the only sign she'd been startled.
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to appear or occur briefly.
A smile flickered across his face.
verb (used with object)
-
flickers,
present (3rd person singular)
-
flickered,
past participle, past
-
flickering
present participle
noun
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an unsteady flame or light.
A dim flicker of lamplight was all that illuminated the room.
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a flickering movement.
The flicker of the snake's tongue was hypnotizing.
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a brief occurrence or appearance.
The thought of reinforcements gave them a flicker of hope.
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Slang. Often flickers flick.
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Ophthalmology. the visual sensation of flickering that occurs when the interval between intermittent flashes of light is too long to permit fusion.
noun
verb
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(intr) to shine with an unsteady or intermittent light
a candle flickers
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(intr) to move quickly to and fro; quiver, flutter, or vibrate
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(tr) to cause to flicker
noun
-
an unsteady or brief light or flame
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a swift quivering or fluttering movement
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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
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(plural) a US word for flick 2
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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flickersimple
-
flickerssimple
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have flickeredperfect
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has flickeredperfect
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am flickeringprogressive
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are flickeringprogressive
-
is flickeringprogressive
-
have been flickeringperfect progressive
-
has been flickeringperfect progressive
Past
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flickeredsimple
-
had flickeredperfect
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was flickeringprogressive
-
were flickeringprogressive
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had been flickeringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of flicker1
First recorded before 1000; Middle English verb flikeren, flekeren, Old English flicerian, flicorian “to flutter”; cognate with Dutch flikkeren
Origin of flicker2
An Americanism dating back to 1800–10; said to be imitative of the bird's note
Explanation
To flicker is to flash on and off at random. If your computer screen is flickering right now, you are probably having trouble reading this. Something that is flickering is flashing on and off in an unpredictable way. A fluorescent light may flicker for a while before it stops working. A flicker is also a quick flash or burst of light, like a glint or a spark. Similarly, flicker can refer to a sudden and short-lived feeling. A child opening a present might have a flicker of excitement before realizing that the box contains only tube socks and underwear.
Vocabulary lists containing flicker
Unit 4: Powerful Openings
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"The Song of Wandering Aengus" by W.B. Yeats
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"The Song of Wandering Aengus" and "Sonnet 43," Vocabulary from the poems
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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:
A group could be deep in conversation when the puck sprang to life, producing a brief, collective flicker of delight.
From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026
Possible precedents flicker: Maya hieroglyphs, Buddhist mandalas, Hiberno-Saxon manuscripts, Bosch, Gauguin, feathered Trinidadian carnival masks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
Upstairs, children pore over schoolbooks, mothers prepare lunch and television sets flicker in cramped living rooms, all against the constant background noise of shredders whining and baling presses pounding below.
From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026
He went to the toilet, which is when he saw a flicker of orange through the frosted glass of the window.
From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026
There’s a flicker of a reaction on Dr.
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
Mounted slightly above head height and illuminated like a shrine, it flickers among Art Deco radio, fierce guardian and modern sculpture.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
"No matter how difficult times are, I believe that humans always manage to find flickers of levity and deep wells of love," she said.
From BBC ● May 19, 2026
Inside an underground shelter at a hospital in the Israeli city of Haifa, a television screen flickers with images of Iranian missiles as doctors and midwives deliver Sarah Bird's third child.
From Barron's ● Apr. 10, 2026
“Put your hands up,” she says, while a classmate flickers the lights on and off.
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2025
A stub of a candle flickers, sending weak light across the deep scratches on his desk.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
After carefully twisting cables together and testing them with a multimeter, a small bulb flickered on, then another, signalling that the current was flowing.
From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2026
The neon kangaroo flickered, releasing a rhythmic, neon buzz.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
A lit candle flickered among the flowers, where a teddy bear was also perched.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
In one recording of a WhatsApp video call seen by AFP, the scammer, appearing lifelike as the prince, flickered on the screen.
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
The news hologram flickered bright, making her pale white skin even more ghastly.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
However, Gauff raised her hand to halt play because of a flickering light in the side panels surrounding the court.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
He saw Bori’s flickering silhouette gripping the bars.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026
The young couple in those linked stories are always accompanied by the flickering presence of their social-media apps, which seem to guide their behavior and lead them unthinkingly toward a breakup.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
Absorbed students carefully threaded wires into junction boxes to make circuits connected to lights, bulbs flickering on one by one to signal a job well done.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
Seconds ago, that candle had been quietly flickering in its gilded candelabra; now only the tiny flames flickering on the ground remained.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
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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.
