glimmer

1 of 2

verb

glim·​mer ˈgli-mər 

glimmered; glimmering ˈgli-mə-riŋ 

ˈglim-

intransitive verb

1

a

: to shine faintly or unsteadily

The candles glimmered in the windows.

b

: to give off a subdued unsteady reflection

Her white satin dress glimmered in the dusk.

2

: to appear indistinctly with a faintly luminous quality

glimmer

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: a feeble or intermittent light

the first glimmer of dawn

b

: a subdued unsteady shining or sparkle

2

a

: a dim perception or faint idea : inkling

gave them a glimmer of what they could expect

b

: hint, spark

a glimmer of intelligence

a glimmer of hope

Synonyms

Verb

• coruscate
• flame
• flash
• glance
• gleam
• glint
• glisten
• glister
• glitter
• luster
• lustre
• scintillate
• shimmer
• spangle
• sparkle
• twinkle
• wink
• winkle

Noun

• ace
• bit
• crumb
• dab
• dram
• driblet
• hint
• lick
• little
• mite
• nip
• ounce
• particle
• peanuts
• ray
• scintilla
• scruple
• shade
• shadow
• shred
• skosh
• smack
• smell
• smidgen
• smidgeon
• smidgin
• smidge
• snap
• soupçon
• spark
• spatter
• speck
• splash
• spot
• sprinkling
• strain
• streak
• suspicion
• tad
• touch
• trace

Choose the Right Synonym for glimmer

flash, gleam, glint, sparkle, glitter, glisten, glimmer, shimmer mean to send forth light.

flash implies a sudden outburst of bright light.

lightning flashed

gleam suggests a steady light seen through an obscuring medium or against a dark background.

lights gleamed in the valley

glint implies a cold glancing light.

glinting steel

sparkle suggests innumerable moving points of bright light.

the sparkling waters

glitter connotes a brilliant sparkling or gleaming.

glittering diamonds

glisten applies to the soft sparkle from a wet or oily surface.

glistening wet sidewalk

glimmer suggests a faint or wavering gleam.

a distant glimmering light

shimmer means shining with a wavering light.

a shimmering satin dress

Examples of glimmer in a Sentence

Verb

Candles glimmered in the windows of the inn.

Moonlight glimmered on the pond.

Noun

the glimmer of a distant star

Their first meeting with the new boss gave them a glimmer of what they could expect.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The grand romantic gesture was photographed in a beautiful hall with glimmering chandeliers and golden walls. —Alex Gonzalez, SPIN, 6 Dec. 2024

Meanwhile, distant galaxies glimmer in the background of the image. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 2 Dec. 2024

Noun

But the findings offer a glimmer of hope amid growing concerns about the impacts of climate change on the Antarctic. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024

Post-Thanksgiving, annual revenue is off by only 6.3 percent at $7.78 billion, providing a glimmer of hope that ticket sales for 2024 could come in at $8.5 billion to $8.6 billion, and possibly more more. —Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English glimeren; akin to Old English glǣm gleam

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1590, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing glimmer

• glimmer/ray of hope

Kids Definition

glimmer

noun

glim·​mer

ˈglim-ər

1

a

: a feeble or unsteady light

b

: a soft shimmer

2

a

: a faint idea : inkling

b

: a small amount : bit

glimmer verb