Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Shining with bright, quick, intermittent points of light: Describes something that emits or reflects small, bright flashes of light, like stars or glitter.
   • Effervescent; containing bubbles of gas: Used to describe drinks, especially wines and waters, that are charged with carbon dioxide, making them fizzy.
   • Lively, brilliant, or vivacious: Describes a person's eyes, personality, or conversation that is full of life, energy, and wit.

2. Noun:

   • A rapid change in brightness; a brief spark or flash: The act or instance of emitting small, bright flashes of light.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • The sparkling stars filled the clear night sky.
  • She served sparkling water with a slice of lemon.
  • He captivated the audience with his sparkling wit and humor.

• Noun:

  • The sparkling of the diamond under the light was mesmerizing.

Advanced Usage

• "sparkling clean": extremely clean and shining.

  • After hours of scrubbing, the kitchen was sparkling clean.

• "sparkling with": full of or showing a particular positive quality (e.g., intelligence, joy).

  • Her eyes were sparkling with excitement as she told the story.

Variants and Related Words

• Sparkle (verb/noun): To shine with bright points of light; a glittering flash.
  • The crystal chandelier sparkled in the candlelight.
• Sparkler (noun): A handheld firework that emits sparks, or (informally) a sparkling diamond.
• Unsparkling (adjective): Dull, not shining or lively.

Synonyms

• Adjective (shining): Glittering, glistening, twinkling, scintillating.
• Adjective (fizzy): Effervescent, carbonated, bubbly.
• Adjective (lively): Vivacious, animated, brilliant, dazzling.

Antonyms

• Adjective: Dull, flat, still, lifeless, noncarbonated.

Related Phrases

• Sparkling wine: A wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide, making it fizzy (e.g., Champagne, Prosecco).
• Sparkling eyes: Eyes that are bright and full of expression, often indicating happiness or excitement.

Adjective

1. used of wines and waters; charged naturally or artificially with carbon dioxide
   • sparkling wines
   • sparkling water
2. shining with brilliant points of light like stars
   • sparkling snow
   • sparkling eyes

Noun

1. a rapid change in brightness; a brief spark or flash