shimmer
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to shine with or reflect a subdued, tremulous light; gleam faintly.
- Synonyms:
- glimmer
-
to appear to quiver or vibrate in faint light or while reflecting heat waves.
noun
-
a subdued, tremulous light or gleam.
-
a quivering or vibrating motion or image as produced by reflecting faint light or heat waves.
verb
noun
Related Words
See glisten.
Other Word Forms
- shimmering adjective
- shimmeringly adverb
- unshimmering adjective
- unshimmeringly adverb
Etymology
Origin of shimmer
First recorded before 1100; Middle English schimeren, s(c)hemeren, Old English scimrian; cognate with Dutch schemeren, German schimmern “to glisten”
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.
In frank yet wordy songs that layer guitars and synths over shimmering grooves, Duff sings about trying to overcome old habits and about her fear that her best times are behind her.
From Los Angeles Times
The camera often seems to be right under his chin, gazing as the sweat on his cheeks and lashes shimmers under the Vegas lights like diamonds.
From Los Angeles Times
On a shimmering course in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Shiffrin blew away the competition in her best event and reclaimed her status as an Olympic champion.
After years defying gravity, Wicked star Cynthia Erivo has traded the shimmering world of Oz for something darker and far more demanding.
From BBC
She recommends using night mode on a mobile phone to take a photo of the shimmer as it will automatically adjust to the low light and amplify what is there.
From BBC
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.
