sparkle

verb

/ˈspɑːkl/

/ˈspɑːrkl/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they sparkle	/ˈspɑːkl/ /ˈspɑːrkl/
he / she / it sparkles	/ˈspɑːklz/ /ˈspɑːrklz/
past simple sparkled	/ˈspɑːkld/ /ˈspɑːrkld/
past participle sparkled	/ˈspɑːkld/ /ˈspɑːrkld/
-ing form sparkling	/ˈspɑːklɪŋ/ /ˈspɑːrklɪŋ/

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[intransitive] sparkle (with something) to shine brightly with small flashes of light
- sparkling eyes
- Her jewellery sparkled in the candlelight.
- The sky sparkled with brilliant stars.
Synonyms shine
shine
- gleam
- glow
- sparkle
- glisten
- shimmer
- glitter
- twinkle
- glint
These words all mean to produce or reflect light.
- shine to produce or reflect light, especially brightly:
  The sun was shining and the sky was blue.
- gleam to shine with a clear bright or pale light, especially a reflected light:
  Moonlight gleamed on the water.
- glow (often of something hot or warm) to produce a steady light that is not very bright:
  The end of his cigarette glowed red.
- sparkle to shine brightly with small flashes of light:
  The diamonds sparkled in the light.
- glisten (of something wet) to shine:
  The road glistened wet after the rain.
- shimmer to shine with a soft light that seems to shake slightly:
  Everything seemed to shimmer in the heat.
- glitter to shine brightly with small flashes of reflected light:
  The ceiling of the cathedral glittered with gold.
sparkle or glitter?There is very little difference in meaning between these two words. Glitter can sometimes suggest a lack of depth, but this is more frequent in the figurative use of glitter as a noun: the superficial glitter of show business. Sparkle is also often used to talk about light reflected off a surface, but things that produce light can also sparkle: Stars sparkled in the sky.
- twinkle to shine with a light that changes rapidly from bright to faint to bright again:
  Stars twinkled in the sky.
- glint to give small bright flashes of reflected light:
  The blade of the knife glinted in the darkness.
Patterns
- to shine/gleam/sparkle/glisten/shimmer/glitter/glint on something
- to shine/gleam/glow/sparkle/glisten/shimmer/glitter/twinkle/glint with something
- to shine/gleam/sparkle/glisten/shimmer/glitter/glint in the sunlight
- to shine/gleam/glisten/shimmer/glitter/glint in the moonlight
- the stars shine/sparkle/glitter/twinkle
- somebody’s eyes shine/gleam/glow/sparkle/glisten/glitter/twinkle/glint
- to shine/gleam/glow/glitter brightly
- to shine/gleam/glow/shimmer softly
Extra Examples
- Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
- The grass was sparkling with frost.
- The river sparkled in the sunlight.
[intransitive] sparkle (with something) to be full of life, enthusiasm or humour
- He always sparkles at parties.
- She sparkled with cheerfulness and good humour.
Topics Personal qualitiesc2

Word OriginMiddle English: frequentative (verb) or diminutive (noun) of spark.

sparkle

noun

/ˈspɑːkl/

/ˈspɑːrkl/

[countable, uncountable]

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a series of flashes of light produced by light hitting a shiny surface
- the sparkle of glass
- the sparkles of light on water
- The sky went dark and the sea lost its sparkle.
- (figurative) There was a sparkle of excitement in her eyes.
the quality of being lively and original
- The performance lacked sparkle.
- Do something to add a sparkle to your life!
Extra Examples
- She has lost none of her old sparkle as a jazz singer.
- Do something to add a sparkle to your life.
Topics Personal qualitiesc2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- extra
- a little
- old
- …
verb + sparkle
- have
- lack
- lose
- …
phrases
- a sparkle in somebody’s eyes
See full entry

Word OriginMiddle English: frequentative (verb) or diminutive (noun) of spark.