shimmer
Americanverb (used without object)
-
shimmers,
present (3rd person singular)
-
shimmered,
past participle, past
-
shimmering
present participle
-
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
Synonym Usage
See glisten.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
shimmersimple
-
shimmerssimple
-
have shimmeredperfect
-
has shimmeredperfect
-
am shimmeringprogressive
-
are shimmeringprogressive
-
is shimmeringprogressive
-
have been shimmeringperfect progressive
-
has been shimmeringperfect progressive
Past
-
shimmeredsimple
-
had shimmeredperfect
-
was shimmeringprogressive
-
were shimmeringprogressive
-
had been shimmeringperfect progressive
Future
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”
Explanation
When you shimmer you shine, although sometimes quite weakly. A shimmer is small and sometimes weak, and in danger of going out, but it's there all the same and often beautiful. You know how silk catches the light and shines in lovely ways? That's a shimmer. How about when you feel like it's the end of the world but there's a little piece of you that believes things are going to get better? That's a shimmer of hope. Or when you open a door to a dark room and the light from the hall falls into the darkness? That's a shimmer of light.
Vocabulary lists containing shimmer
Poetry Cafe
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Because of Winn-Dixie
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Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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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:
“Solstice,” where he shares writing credits with Patti Smith, possesses the same kind of metaphysical shimmer that’s often intrinsic to a Patti Smith composition.
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026
At night, the lights that illuminate the bridge shimmer like mini moons in the waters below.
From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2026
Nearby, racks of sequined jackets shimmer with slogans like "Make Heaven Crowded," worn by supporters well into their seventies who, for a few days at least, dress more like pop fans than retirees.
From Barron's ● Mar. 28, 2026
But once the shimmer of being the “new hot shiny thing” dulled and she settled into her life as a musician, she realized she was being held to a different standard.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 15, 2025
My nails shimmer with a clear coat of polish and a small white line drawn at each nail tip.
From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles
He could have made something that shimmers, a piece of true pop that expresses repellent ideals.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
Produced and directed by Ernst Lubitsch and written by his frequent collaborator Samson Raphaelson, this Paramount picture, running a pert 82 minutes, positively shimmers with wit and sizzles with innuendo.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026
A veritable feast for the ears that shimmers with sound — a stray guitar flourish here, a pulsing synthesizer there.
From Salon ● Mar. 6, 2026
A better future shimmers on the page when Lech Wałęsa climbs over a fence as an unemployed electrician, taps someone on the shoulder and becomes “the face of the Polish revolution.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 27, 2025
The road ahead of us shimmers in the heat, and the dust swells are everywhere, burning my eyes.
From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung
Wunmi Mosaku, up for best supporting actress for Sinners, opted for a striking blue dress, which shimmered on the red carpet.
From BBC ● Feb. 22, 2026
But it also shimmered with optimism and adventure.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 18, 2025
It was 96 degrees on a recent weekday afternoon, and the parking lot of a McDonald’s on Vine Street in Hollywood shimmered with heat.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2024
Dresses, tops, trousers and headpieces shimmered with sequins.
From Reuters ● Sep. 2, 2023
The Death Mist shimmered around her, temporarily turning her face into a grinning skull.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
The shimmering jewelry displayed in later galleries supplies, well, more glitter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
From a gas crater dubbed the "Gateway to Hell" to the shimmering marble buildings of its capital, Turkmenistan is tentatively opening up to tourists after decades of isolation.
From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026
For centuries, a shimmering golden fabric known as sea silk was one of the world's most exclusive luxury materials, reserved for emperors, popes, and other powerful figures.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 12, 2026
From floral stage design and a live band, to her elegant shimmering dresses and words of wisdow - the performance had it all.
From BBC ● May 24, 2026
The moon, a shimmering orange-yellowish halo, is behind Jay and DeShon.
From "Paradise on Fire" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
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.
