TOP

Definition of shimmer verb from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

 

shimmer

 verb
verb
NAmE//ˈʃɪmər//
 
[intransitive]Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they shimmer
 
he / she / it shimmers
 
past simple shimmered
 
-ing form shimmering
 
 
jump to other results
to shine with a soft light that seems to move slightly The sea was shimmering in the sunlight. The surface of the road shimmered in the midday heat. Thesaurusshine
  • gleam
  • glow
  • sparkle
  • glisten
  • shimmer
  • glitter
  • twinkle
  • glint
These words all mean to produce or reflect light.
  • shine to produce or reflect light, especially brightly:The sun was shining and the sky was blue.
  • gleam to shine with a clear bright or pale light, especially a reflected light:The moonlight gleamed on the water.
  • glow (often of something hot or warm) to produce a dull, steady light:The end of his cigarette glowed red.
  • sparkle to shine brightly with small flashes of light:The diamonds sparkled in the light.
  • glisten (of something wet) to shine:Her eyes were glistening with tears.
  • shimmer to shine with a soft light that seems to shake slightly:The road seemed to shimmer in the heat.
  • glitter to shine brightly with small flashes of reflected light:The ceiling of the cathedral glittered with gold.
sparkle or glitter?
  • There is very little difference in meaning between these two words. Glitter can sometimes suggest a lack of depth, but this is more frequent in the figurative use of glitter as a noun:the superficial glitter of show business. Sparkle is also often used to talk about light reflected off a surface, but things that produce light can also sparkle:The fireworks sparkled in the sky.
  • twinkle to shine with a light that changes rapidly from bright to faint to bright again:Stars twinkled in the sky.
  • glint to give small bright flashes of reflected light:The blade of the knife glinted in the darkness.
Patterns
  • to shine/gleam/sparkle/glisten/shimmer/glitter/glint on something
  • to shine/gleam/glow/sparkle/glisten/shimmer/glitter/twinkle/glint with something
  • to shine/gleam/sparkle/glisten/shimmer/glitter/glint in the sunlight/moonlight
  • the stars shine/sparkle/glitter/twinkle
  • somebody's eyes shine/gleam/glow/sparkle/glisten/glitter/twinkle/glint
  • to shine/gleam/glow/glitter brightly
  • to shine/gleam/glow/shimmer softly
See shimmer in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Other results

All matches