glitter
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to reflect light with a brilliant, sparkling luster; sparkle with reflected light.
-
to make a brilliant show.
noun
-
a sparkling reflected light or luster.
- Synonyms:
- sparkle
-
showy splendor.
-
small glittering ornaments.
verb
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(of a hard, wet, or polished surface) to reflect light in bright flashes
-
(of light) to be reflected in bright flashes
-
(usually foll by with) to be decorated or enhanced by the glamour (of)
the show glitters with famous actors
noun
-
sparkle or brilliance
-
show and glamour
-
tiny pieces of shiny decorative material used for ornamentation, as on the skin
-
Also called: silver thaw. ice formed from freezing rain
Synonym Usage
See flash.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
glittersimple
-
glitterssimple
-
have glitteredperfect
-
has glitteredperfect
-
am glitteringprogressive
-
are glitteringprogressive
-
is glitteringprogressive
-
have been glitteringperfect progressive
-
has been glitteringperfect progressive
Past
-
glitteredsimple
-
had glitteredperfect
-
was glitteringprogressive
-
were glitteringprogressive
-
had been glitteringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of glitter
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Old Norse glitra; compare Old English glitenian, German gleissen “to shine, glitter”
Explanation
A glitter is a sparkle or flash of light. To glitter is to gleam or shine, as if glistening with moisture. Glitter isn’t just shiny stuff you use in craft projects. When used as a noun, glitter can refer to any kind of gleam, glint, spark, or flash of light, like the flicker of a firefly at night. This word can also be used as a verb. An ornate golden goblet glitters brightly — as does anything coated in a thick layer of glitter.
Vocabulary lists containing glitter
"The Earth Under Sky Bear's Feet"
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Towers Falling
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Jess and Layla's Astronomical Assignment
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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.
The top three-placed ice dancers in Milan also starred in the recent Netflix docuseries "Glitter and Gold: Ice Dancing".
From Barron's • Feb. 10, 2026
Thankfully, there's no Gary Glitter music this time.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2024
“Time to whip out the Glitter & Hellfire,” he added, as shown on screenshots posted by Libs of Tiktok.
From Washington Times • Nov. 21, 2023
This set comes with the sunny Georgia Peach, soothing Geneva Blue and disco-worthy transparent Glitter.
From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2023
Glitter Man had come up with what he’d thought was a brilliant plan.
From "Chasing Vermeer" by Blue Balliett
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.
