flickered; flickering
ˈfli-k(ə-)riŋ 
1
: to move irregularly or unsteadily : flutter
Shadows flickered on the wall.
2
: to burn or shine fitfully or with a fluctuating light
a candle flickering in the window
3
: to appear or pass briefly or quickly
Thoughts flickered through his mind.
A smile flickered across her face.
1
a
: an act of flickering
b
: a sudden brief movement
the flicker of an eyelash
c
: a momentary quickening
a flicker of anger
d
: a slight indication : hint
a flicker of recognition
2
a
: a wavering light
the flicker of a candle
b
: a repeated momentary defect in a cathode-ray tube image caused especially by slow scanning of the screen
3
dated, informal
: movie
—often used in plural
: a large barred and spotted North American woodpecker (Colaptes auratus) with a brown back that commonly forages on the ground for ants compare red-shafted flicker, yellow-shafted flicker
Synonyms
Examples of flicker in a Sentence
Verb
A TV was flickering in the background.
The overhead light kept flickering off and on.
Thoughts flickered through his mind.
A smile flickered across her face.
Noun (1)
as a child, the future director would spend hours sitting in the theater, totally entranced by the flickers
usually there's a flicker in car sales when the new models come out
there was a flicker of recognition in her eye when I mentioned his name, but she denied knowing him
Recent Examples on the Web
Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024
Blurry vision, blind spots, flickering lights or geometric patterns can also occur.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 16 Dec. 2024
Justin Davidson, Curbed, 18 Dec. 2024
Even after the decorations are put away, a candle’s flicker keeps the hygge vibes going well into winter and is the perfect companion to any new year self-care routine.
—Bea McMonagle, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for flicker 
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show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
Cincinnati Bengals 37, Tennessee Titans 27: In a sloppy contest in Nashville, Joe Burrow and Co. made sure their team's faint playoff hopes will flicker for at least one more week.
—Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024
Blurry vision, blind spots, flickering lights or geometric patterns can also occur.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 16 Dec. 2024
Noun
Coming in the final minutes of a three-and-a-half-hour film, this summation feels like a perfunctory flicker of hopefulness in an otherwise bitter film.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 18 Dec. 2024
Even after the decorations are put away, a candle’s flicker keeps the hygge vibes going well into winter and is the perfect companion to any new year self-care routine.
—Bea McMonagle, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for flicker
Articles Related to flicker
Dictionary Entries Near flicker
Cite this Entry
“Flicker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flicker. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
flicker
2 of 3 noun1
: an act of flickering
2
: a brief stirring
a flicker of interest
3
: a flickering light
flicker
3 of 3 noun
: a large insect-eating North American woodpecker with a black crescent on the breast and yellow or red on the underside of the wings and tail compare red-shafted flicker, yellow-shafted flicker
Medical Definition
flicker
noun
flick·er
ˈflik-ər
: the wavering or fluttering visual sensation produced by intermittent light when the interval between flashes is not small enough to produce complete fusion of the individual impressions
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