sparkle
Americanverb (used without object)
-
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)
noun
-
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:
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
The monitor had been designed with screws in the back that had 25 concentric circles machined into their flat heads to make them sparkle as light passed over them.
From Barron's ● Apr. 22, 2026
There was plenty of their traditional hard edge in a tussle of a game, but also moments of 24-carat sparkle.
From BBC ● Mar. 23, 2026
Her skin glows, her eyes sparkle and her hair shines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 22, 2026
“O Jewel among sorcerers, O Gem of Havnor, sparkle for us!”
From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin
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
And inspiration is easy to find in this piece of North America’s so-called “Galapagos,” where the Pacific sparkles in the background of any burn scar.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026
Inside an unassuming portable cabin in York, multicoloured prom dresses adorned with jewels and sparkles line the walls.
From BBC ● May 21, 2026
“You got that right. And her clothes! Remember that time she went to work and we tried on all those dresses with the sparkles and the sequins? My mama was a real fancy lady.”
From "Forged by Fire" by Sharon M. Draper
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
The Japanese player continued her tradition of jaw-dropping looks at the majors with an outfit that sparkled like "the Eiffel Tower at night" at the French Open.
From BBC ● May 26, 2026
On a recent winter night, frost sparkled in the air like cold confetti and a warm glow spilled from the small windows of a tavern in the one-stoplight village of Sergeantsville, N.J.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2026
The ocean sparkled in the distance, little crystals dancing on its surface.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2025
They stood in the middle of smooth, soft sands that sparkled and shone like tiny stars.
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
To mark the anniversary, he wore one of his original sparkling pink suits from the film.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
Together, these layers create an image dominated by red, white, and blue, with the X-ray data highlighting the sparkling glow of young stars forming within the nebula.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 4, 2026
He wore an all-white suit in the video, while his wife, singer Ashanti, donned a sparkling gown.
From Barron's ● Jul. 4, 2026
Some might associate sparkling wine mostly with special occasions, like wedding toasts or New Year’s Eve.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026
She turns her back to me to clean invisible dust off the sparkling fairy orb.
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
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.
