sparkle
Americanverb (used without object)
-
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)
noun
-
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:
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
In a Cannes year with very little Hollywood sparkle, a lot was riding on director James Gray’s “Paper Tiger.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 23, 2026
The monitor had been designed with screws in the back that had 25 concentric circles machined into their flat heads to make them sparkle as light passed over them.
From Barron's ● Apr. 22, 2026
Hundreds of books have been written about the Rolling Stones, but few sparkle quite like Spitz’s.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 20, 2026
“I wish to catch his attention. I think I shall open the box and hold up the gemstone so it will sparkle as we dance around him.”
From "The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge" by M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin
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
Inside an unassuming portable cabin in York, multicoloured prom dresses adorned with jewels and sparkles line the walls.
From BBC ● May 21, 2026
Silverstone sparkles in a role that hits close to home — like Kate, she’s an environmental activist — and when she smiles, the whole room lights up.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 3, 2025
When it comes to documenting The Beatles’ life and times, the “Anthology” series absolutely sparkles.
From Salon ● Nov. 21, 2025
As she looked through, she saw a swarm of golden sparkles surrounding the form of Atal.
From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman
Although Sooryavanshi sparkled for 14 off 10 balls in India's 190-7, it was England's own protege, Jacob Bethell, who led them to victory with an over to spare.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
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
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 MacArthur “genius grant” winner sparkled with sartorial edge as he strutted across the stage in a white tuxedo shirt to discuss his book “Emperor of Gladness.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2026
Her wrinkly, pale skin blended with her short gray hair, and her dark blue eyes sparkled when she talked.
From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez
This was the case for Sam Colenutt, 29, who first tried a chilled sparkling red wine at a vineyard in Australia.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
To mark the anniversary, he wore one of his original sparkling pink suits from the film.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
Together, these layers create an image dominated by red, white, and blue, with the X-ray data highlighting the sparkling glow of young stars forming within the nebula.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 4, 2026
He wore an all-white suit in the video, while his wife, singer Ashanti, donned a sparkling gown.
From Barron's ● Jul. 4, 2026
She squinted at Father’s rickshaw, sparkling in the sunshine after her cleaning.
From "Rickshaw Girl" by Mitali Perkins
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.
