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

Holographic Shine When thinking of ultimate shine, the iridescent finish of a holographic nail is top-tier. —Audrey Noble, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2024

Choose from festive dark turquoise, barely-there lilac, or glowing iridescent — or opt for an assortment of four colors to mix and match. —Laura Denby, People.com, 13 Dec. 2024

Clusters of rhinestones and iridescent pearls add just the right amount of sparkle! —Tiffany Leigh, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024

Meanwhile, the opulence of the dark green mother-of-pearl dial with a matching bracelet in high-tech ceramic holds an iridescent polished look to catch the eye and out amongst the crowd. —Fairchild Studio, WWD, 28 Sep. 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