iridescent

adjective

ir·​i·​des·​cent ˌir-ə-ˈde-sᵊnt 

: having or exhibiting iridescence

iridescently adverb

Did you know?

Iris, the Greek goddess of the rainbow, took messages from Mount Olympus to earth, and from gods to mortals or other gods, using the rainbow as her stairway. Iridescence is thus the glowing, shifting, colorful quality of a rainbow, also seen in an opal, a light oil slick, a butterfly wing, or the mother-of-pearl that lines an oyster shell.

Synonyms

• nacreous
• opalescent
• pearlescent

Examples of iridescent in a Sentence

an iridescent soap bubble

Recent Examples on the Web

Other celebs made waves not just with the iridescent finish of eyeshadow, but with its placement, too. —Claire Sullivan, WWD, 6 Jan. 2025

The shells of ammonites shine in iridescent red, blue, orange and green caused by reflection of light from the layers of aragonite and eons of pressure. —Roger Catlin, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Dec. 2024

Lying at its base was a pink wand with iridescent streamers that were blowing in the wind. —Windsor Johnston, NPR, 22 Dec. 2024

This version introduces six new iridescent dial colors, ranging from Moss Green and Dark Blonde to the oceanic hues of Aquamarine and Blue Mother-of-Pearl, as well as classic Silver and delicate Rose Mother-of-Pearl. —Bhanu Chopra, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Greek īrid-, îris "rainbow, iridescent halo around the moon, a flame, etc." + -escent — more at iris entry 1

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

iridescent

adjective

ir·​i·​des·​cent ˌir-ə-ˈdes-ᵊnt 

: having or showing iridescence

iridescently adverb

Medical Definition

iridescent

adjective

ir·​i·​des·​cent ˌir-ə-ˈdes-ᵊnt 

: having or exhibiting a display of colors producing rainbow effects

iridescence

-ᵊn(t)s 

noun