sparkly
Americanadjective
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tending to sparkle; animated; lively.
a row of sparkly cheerleaders.
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(of a wine) naturally carbonated; effervescent.
Etymology
Origin of sparkly
Explanation
The adjective sparkly is useful for describing an object that glints with light, like a disco ball, or a person whose personality is equally bright and bubbly. A little girl's glittery shoes are sparkly, and so is sunlight flashing on the surface of a lake. When people are described as sparkly, it's usually because they are vivacious and enthusiastic, the life of the party. The word sparkly was first used in the 1920s, from sparkle, which in turn comes from spark. The origin isn't known for sure, but it may be rooted in the Old Norse word sparkr, "sprightly."
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:
Sandra Cooper, Preston's foster mum, told the court he was "joyful, so content and happy, with sparkly smiling eyes".
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
One of its writers, James Jeremias, was loosely inspired by “Interview,” which may be why Kiefer Sutherland’s rebellious vampire, David, feels spiritually closer to Lestat than the sparkly fang boys of “The Twilight Saga.”
From Salon ● Jun. 13, 2026
He said variable annuities are stupid and poisonous, but he claimed that fixed-rate annuities are the sparkly, rainbow-fairyland of investments if you know the right ones.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 12, 2026
“Talk to Me” is another winner with a bright and sparkly arrangement, its strobe-like effect accentuated with the sound of crashing objects, as if the stage is collapsing around the song as it builds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 31, 2026
Zohra clicks her tongue against her teeth as she watches me eye a sparkly clip that I can picture in my friend Emily’s long blond hair.
From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan
There were costume changes, each get-up sparklier than the last, and there was a troupe of male and female dancers executing athletic choreography.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 16, 2024
When I spent two days last week wandering around Omaha, a city I had not visited since before the pandemic, the downtown seemed a little newer, sparklier than before, even under gray January skies.
From New York Times ● Jan. 21, 2023
An American Dream vector that lifts people out of hardship into something sparklier, more humane and more fun?
From Washington Post ● Oct. 4, 2022
No high was worth a low that awful, not even the magical high feelings of being in love and seeing the whole world transform into a brighter, sparklier, more vivid version of itself.
From The Verge ● Jun. 25, 2016
Maybe it’s because this place looks different at night, sparklier.
From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina
Allowed to select his own toys at the store, Miles always goes for the sparkliest plush unicorns.
From Seattle Times ● May 12, 2024
Even the sparkliest new wedge won’t do what it’s supposed to around the green if you have bad chipping technique.
From Golf Digest ● Dec. 5, 2019
Rolling Stone magazine described the soon-to-be-king-of-pop’s 1979 album as “unforgettable,” but somehow, the Recording Academy forgot to nominate “Off the Wall” for its sparkliest prize in 1980.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 25, 2018
In the first, an episode about public school integration, one of her main characters is a lawyer – “Not the sparkliest on the radio,” says Glass.
From The Guardian ● May 6, 2016
In Kimmy’s sparkliest dreams, that’s how she hopes the world will see her, too.
From The New Yorker ● Mar. 23, 2015
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.
