sparkly
Americanadjective
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tending to sparkle; animated; lively.
a row of sparkly cheerleaders.
-
(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:
They’re a liquid alternative asset, basically the closest thing you could get to a sparkly cartoon slot machine, where one lucky pull could mean hundreds of dollars in profit.
From Slate ● Aug. 31, 2026
In New York they turned the top of the Empire State Building pink and sparkly.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
“She was a bright, cuddly, sparkly person,” Leffler said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
"The world feels a lot less sparkly all of a sudden."
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
Bakers began frosting their cakes with plain sugar—it was cheaper than luck and just as sparkly.
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
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
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
And for years bricks were considered old-fashioned by many cutting-edge architects, who often favoured glossier, sparklier finishes.
From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2015
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.
