Standard Lemma guide

scintillate

verb · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈsɪn.tɪˌleɪt/
  • General-American: /ˈsɪn.təˌleɪt/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To give off sparks; to shine as if emanating sparks; to twinkle or glow.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

Of a star or other celestial body: to vary rapidly in brightness; to twinkle.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: astronomy, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

Especially of a phosphor: to emit a flash of light upon absorbing ionizing radiation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: nuclear physics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To dazzle or to impress.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To throw off like sparks.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

be lively or brilliant or exhibit virtuosity

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The musical performance sparkled
  • A scintillating conversation
  • his playing coruscated throughout the concert hall

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sparkle, coruscate

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: be

7

verb

Meaning 7

physics: fluoresce momentarily when struck by a charged particle or high-energy photon

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the phosphor fluoresced

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: fluoresce

8

verb

Meaning 8

emit or reflect light in a flickering manner

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Does a constellation twinkle more brightly than a single star?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: twinkle, winkle

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: shine, beam

9

verb

Meaning 9

reflect brightly

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Unquarried marble sparkled on the hillside

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sparkle, coruscate

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: reflect, shine

10

verb

Meaning 10

give off

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the substance scintillated sparks and flashes

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: emit, give out, give off

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin scintillātus, past participle of scintillāre (“to sparkle, glitter, gleam, flash”), from scintilla (“a spark”).

Across languages

Translations

34 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: تَأَلَّقَ (taʔallaqa) — to twinkle
  • Arabic: تَلَأْلَأَ (talaʔlaʔa) — to twinkle
  • Bulgarian: искря (iskrja) — to twinkle
  • Bulgarian: блещукам (bleštukam) — to twinkle
  • Catalan: centellejar — to twinkle
  • Catalan: escintil·lar — to twinkle
  • Czech: třpytit se — to twinkle
  • Czech: jiskřit — to twinkle
  • Dutch: glinsteren — to twinkle
  • Dutch: schitteren — to twinkle
  • Esperanto: flagreti — to twinkle
  • Esperanto: flagri — to twinkle
  • Esperanto: trembrili — to twinkle
  • French: scintiller — to twinkle
  • German: flackern — to twinkle
  • German: funkeln — to twinkle
  • German: szintillieren — to twinkle
  • German: flimmern — to twinkle
  • German: leuchten — to twinkle
  • German: glitzern — to twinkle
  • German: brillieren — to twinkle
  • Greek: σπινθηρίζω (spinthirízo) — to twinkle
  • Hungarian: sziporkázik — to twinkle
  • Hungarian: fényt lövell — to twinkle
  • Hungarian: szikrázik — to twinkle
  • Ido: cintilifar — to twinkle
  • Irish: aibhligh — to twinkle
  • Irish: drithligh — to twinkle
  • Latin: scintillō — to twinkle
  • Māori: kikiwa — to twinkle
  • Old English: blīcan — to twinkle
  • Russian: искриться (iskritʹsja) — to twinkle
  • Shan: ၽၢပ်ႇ (phàap) — to twinkle
  • Spanish: destellar — to twinkle