twinkle

1 of 2

verb

twin·​kle ˈtwiŋ-kəl How to pronounce twinkle (audio)
twinkled; twinkling ˈtwiŋ-k(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce twinkle (audio)

intransitive verb

1
: to shine with a flickering or sparkling light : scintillate
2
a
: to appear bright especially with merriment
his eyes twinkled
b
: to flutter the eyelids
3
: to flutter or flit rapidly

transitive verb

1
: to cause to shine with fluctuating light
2
: to flicker or flirt rapidly
twinkled the straight, red-lacquered toesGlenway Wescott
twinkler noun

twinkle

2 of 2

noun

1
: an intermittent radiance : flicker, sparkle
2
: a rapid flashing motion : flit
3
: a wink of the eyelids
4
: the instant's duration of a wink : twinkling
twinkly adjective

Examples of twinkle in a Sentence

Verb The lights of the city twinkled in the distance. Stars twinkle in the night sky. Her eyes twinkled with excitement. Noun We saw the twinkle of a candle in the window. in just a twinkle, the shooting star was gone
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The theater retains its original ceiling, complete with twinkling lights to mimic a night sky. Carrie Shepherd, Axios, 8 Aug. 2024 As the sun set on the picturesque vineyard in Sagaponack, NY, guests were called to dinner; new and old friends strolled into the private vineyard to find a long rectangular table under twinkling string lights, dressed in blossoming fresh flowers and Italian shared appetizers. Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 5 Aug. 2024
Noun
These lights feature eight different lighting modes, including waves, sequential, slow glow, flashing, slow fade, and twinkle, and can be operated by remote control. Christina Shepherd McGuire, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 May 2024 Every month, the Refinery29 Shopping team takes a gander at our anonymous shopping data to see what put a twinkle in readers' eyes. Alexandra Polk, refinery29.com, 8 Jan. 2024 See all Example Sentences for twinkle 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'twinkle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English twinclian; akin to Middle High German zwinken to blink

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of twinkle was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near twinkle

Cite this Entry

“Twinkle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/twinkle. Accessed 18 Aug. 2024.

Kids Definition

twinkle

1 of 2 verb
twin·​kle ˈtwiŋ-kəl How to pronounce twinkle (audio)
twinkled; twinkling -k(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce twinkle (audio)
1
: to shine or cause to shine with a flickering or sparkling light
2
: to appear bright with amusement
his eyes twinkled
3
: to move or flutter rapidly
twinkler noun

twinkle

2 of 2 noun
1
: a very short time
2
twinkly adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on twinkle

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