sparkle

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) A little spark; a scintillation.
2. (countable, uncountable) Brilliance; luster.
3. (countable, uncountable) Liveliness; vivacity.
4. (countable, uncountable) The quality of being sparkling or fizzy; effervescence.

Verb

1. (intransitive) To emit sparks; to throw off ignited or incandescent particles
2. (broadly) To shine as if throwing off sparks; to emit flashes of light; to scintillate; to twinkle
3. (intransitive) To manifest itself by, or as if by, emitting sparks; to glisten; to flash.
4. (intransitive) To emit little bubbles, as certain kinds of liquors; to effervesce
5. (transitive) To emit in the form or likeness of sparks.
6. (obsolete, transitive) To disperse.
7. (obsolete, transitive) To scatter on or over.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈspɑːkəl/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: sparkel

Inherited from Middle English: sparklen

Cognate with Western Frisian: sparkelje

Cognate with Dutch: sparkelen

In summary

From Middle English sparkel, sparkle, sparcle, equivalent to spark + -le (diminutive suffix). In some modern uses deverbal from etymology 2 below.

Synonyms

glitter

shine

twinkle

flash

gleam

glisten

spark

scintillate

shimmer

glint

coruscate

glare

froth

dazzle

glow

flare

flicker

bubble

be bright

glimmer

radiate

light

twinkling

coruscation

light up

glister

emit sparks

appear

foam

show

scintillation

blaze

effervesce

display

fizz

sparkling

brilliant

wink

😉

form bubbles

spark-over

animation

make a brilliant display

asterisk

*️⃣

beam

blink

brighten

brilliance

brilliancy

burn

burnish

Translations

étinceler

funkeln

❇️

scintiller

❇️

chispa

sfavillare

❇️

briller

glänzen

étincelle

scintillio

❇️

brilho

scintilla

brillare

blitzen

glitzern

scintillare