twinkle

1 of 2

verb

twin·​kle ˈtwiŋ-kəl 

twinkled; twinkling ˈtwiŋ-k(ə-)liŋ 

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 toes

—Glenway Wescott

twinkler

ˈtwiŋ-k(ə-)lər 

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

ˈtwiŋ-k(ə-)lē 

adjective

Synonyms

Verb

• blink
• flash
• wink

Noun

• beat
• eyeblink
• flash
• heartbeat
• instant
• jiff
• jiffy
• minute
• moment
• nanosecond
• New York minute
• second
• shake
• split second
• trice
• twinkling
• wink

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 sun didn’t shine as bright this morning, and the stars won’t twinkle as bright tonight. —Christy Piña, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 May 2024

In a city where paparazzi snapshots of elusive celebrities draw the attention of millions of adoring fans, an image of a seemingly smiling Los Angeles heavyweight, overlooking the twinkling lights of Pasadena, is about to go viral. —Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2024

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

Phrases Containing twinkle

• a twinkle in one's eye
• in the twinkle/twinkling of an eye

Kids Definition

twinkle

1 of 2 verb

twin·​kle ˈtwiŋ-kəl 

twinkled; twinkling -k(ə-)liŋ 

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

-k(ə-)lər 

noun

twinkle

2 of 2 noun

1

: a very short time

2

: sparkle entry 2 sense 1, flicker

twinkly

-k(ə-)lē 

adjective