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:
Robert Wun’s sparkly, inky designs, initially fitted with umbrella-like headwear, enliven the dance as it goes along its uneventful way; Ms. Archibald’s background in hip-hop, as well as classical dance, wasn’t much in evidence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
Steffi Cao argues that as gambling becomes a load-bearing pillar of the economy, trading cards are “basically the closest thing you could get to a sparkly cartoon slot machine.”
From Slate ● Aug. 31, 2026
After delivering punchy renditions of new tracks Wink Wink, Yeah and Card Declined, she stepped out to change from a black sparkly blazer into a black corseted dress.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
“She was a bright, cuddly, sparkly person,” Leffler said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Dad is helping Malia look for a sparkly rainbow headband that she insists on wearing when I say goodbye.
From "A Soft Place to Land" by Janae Marks
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
I saw skyscrapers in the distance and heard mention of a twin — a sparklier, sassier, busier, bigger city slightly to the west.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 9, 2019
Mr. McFarlan gave a bouncy introduction on a set that looked just a little sparklier.
From New York Times ● Nov. 7, 2017
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 Kimmy’s sparkliest dreams, that’s how she hopes the world will see her, too.
From The New Yorker ● Mar. 23, 2015
These people, dear heart, are not the sparkliest fireworks in life's biscuit tin.
From The Guardian ● Oct. 22, 2010
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
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