shimmer

[shim-er]

verb (used without object)

to shine with or reflect a subdued, tremulous light; gleam faintly.

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.

Origin of shimmer

before 1100; Middle English schimeren, s(c)hemeren, Old English scimrian; cognate with Dutch schemeren, German schimmern to glisten

Related formsshim·mer·ing·ly, adverbun·shim·mer·ing, adjectiveun·shim·mer·ing·ly, adverb

Synonyms for shimmer

1. glimmer. See glisten.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for shimmered

glint, glitter, sheen, glimmer, luster, shine, twinkle, gleam, sparkle, glow, gloss, glisten, spangle, flash, iridescence, coruscation, spark, scintillation, incandescence, phosphorescence

Examples from the Web for shimmered

Contemporary Examples of shimmered

Alan Cumming shimmered darkly and brilliantly as the emcee in the Cabaret performance.
Hugh Jackman's Tony Jumping Fail, Plus the Winners and Standout Moments of Broadway's Biggest Night
Tim Teeman
June 9, 2014
Consider one bold, green dress with a voluminous skirt that shimmered with what looked like the green scales of an alligator.
Bottega Veneta Spring/Summer 2014: Palazzo Fashion
Liza Foreman
September 21, 2013
In a strapless platinum sheath covered in paiettes by Armani Prive, Anne Hathaway shimmered on the carpet.
Dress Makers
Laura Bennett
February 23, 2009

Historical Examples of shimmered

It shimmered and trembled like an iridescent bubble about to break.
The Cruise of the Snark
Jack London
Shadows, formed by the water on the pane, shimmered on Fernando's face.
When the Owl Cries
Paul Bartlett
In it was a strange, liquid which shone and shimmered in the half-darkness of the hut.
The King's Assegai
Bertram Mitford
Then the sharp lines of the throne blurred; it shimmered in the light.
The People of the Crater
Andrew North
He looked at the gauge that shimmered redly before him, disbelieving.
Sound of Terror
Don Berry

British Dictionary definitions for shimmered

shimmer

verb

(intr) to shine with a glistening or tremulous light

noun

a faint, glistening, or tremulous light

Derived Formsshimmering, adjectiveshimmeringly, adverb

Word Origin for shimmer

Old English scimerian; related to Middle Low German schēmeren to grow dark, Old Norse skimi brightness

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for shimmered

shimmer

Old English scimerian "to glitter, shimmer, glisten, shine," related to (perhaps a frequentative of) scimian "to shine," from Proto-Germanic *skim- (cf. Swedish skimra, Dutch schemeren "to glitter," German schimmern), from PIE root *skai- "to gleam, to shine" (see shine (v.). Related: Shimmered; shimmering.

shimmer

"a tremulous light," 1821, from shimmer (v.).