glimmer
Americannoun
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a faint or unsteady light; gleam.
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a dim perception; inkling.
verb (used without object)
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to shine faintly or unsteadily; twinkle, shimmer, or flicker.
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to appear faintly or dimly.
verb
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(of a light, candle, etc) to glow faintly or flickeringly
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to be indicated faintly
hope glimmered in his face
noun
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a glow or twinkle of light
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a faint indication
Related Words
See gleam.
Other Word Forms
- glimmeringly adverb
Etymology
Origin of glimmer
1300–50; Middle English glimeren “to gleam”; cognate with German glimmern; compare Old English gleomu “splendor”
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.
She describes a glimmer of light when the band is asked to contribute a cover to a movie soundtrack, and it temporarily pulls the musicians together.
From Salon • Mar. 24, 2026
What was shaping up to be a dismal day for major world economies was left with a glimmer of optimism.
From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026
Still, he said, people now see a glimmer of hope and feel invigorated.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026
In one glimmer of progress, the Buffalo Bills -- who have played on turf for decades -- will move into a brand new stadium with real grass next season.
From Barron's • Feb. 7, 2026
I turn the ceiling into a cloudless, starry night sky and let the aurora borealis glimmer just beyond their fingertips as shooting stars zip across the auditorium.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
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.
