sparkle
Americanverb (used without object)
-
sparkles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
sparkled,
past participle, past
-
sparkling
present participle
-
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)
-
sparkles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
sparkled,
past participle, past
-
sparkling
present participle
noun
-
sparkles
plural
-
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:
Gloria, vamping and posing and speaking exclusively in italics, is a semi-ridiculous figure who nevertheless gives the otherwise all-male club the sparkle it needs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
The expansion to 48 teams and 104 games, meanwhile, made room for a number of surprises that gave the tournament its life and sparkle.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
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
“That is the grown-up part of the AI story: Less sparkle, more spreadsheet.”
From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026
Padva continues on unfazed, glossing over only the most sordid of details that Widget can read in the sparkle of her eyes even if she does not speak them aloud.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
Chunky platform sandals, fitted baby tees, butterfly clips on perfectly crimped hair, brightly patterned skirts and tons of sparkles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
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
When it comes to documenting The Beatles’ life and times, the “Anthology” series absolutely sparkles.
From Salon ● Nov. 21, 2025
Tell her that her smile sparkles like a midnight star, or something.
From "Booked" by Kwame Alexander
It comes after the 28-year-old sparkled in a glittering gold tennis dress that resembled "the Eiffel Tower at night" at the French Open, having worn a spectacular jellyfish-inspired outfit at the Australian Open in January.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
England's batting sparkled again as the hosts closed on a place in the T20 World Cup semi-finals with an 38-run victory over Scotland at Headingley.
From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2026
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 city sparkled below like a spread of jewels, but now I had an idea what was hidden among the bright lights.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2025
Under his deep brow they sparkled like frost in a valley.
From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander
Use it anywhere a little concentrated summer would be welcome: shaken into cocktails or mocktails, stirred into iced matcha or sparkling water, drizzled over gelato or spooned onto yogurt.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
"This isn't just a brand campaign for a new sparkling canned drink. It's the people who are supposed to be running the country," wrote The Times's social media editor, Esme Hewitt.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
The category now includes wine, sparkling waters, seltzers and coffee.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
I wasn’t surprised to learn the two men were close friends; they even look alike, with their long white beards and sparkling eyes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
We were this majestic, elegant thing sitting solid, sparkling in the light.
From "Missing May" by Cynthia Rylant
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.
