Definition
to sparkle
View the full definition in the Macmillan Dictionary
Origin and usage
The verb scintillate comes from the Latin ‘scintillare’, to send out sparks, related to ‘scintilla’, a spark. It was first used in English in the 17th century.
Examples
The verb scintillate is generally seen today in the adjectival form ‘scintillating‘ which means very impressive, interesting or clever. The other forms of the verb are infrequent, so that while you can say that someone or something scintillates or scintillated, meaning that they – figuratively – sparkled, it is unusual to do so. It is even more unusual to use the verb literally, but it is possible: see the examples below. The noun scintilla is still used in English, generally with a meaning that is quite far removed from its origins; it means a very small amount, and is most often used in conjunction with nouns like ‘evidence’ and ‘doubt’. Scintillate is a very recent submission to our crowdsourced Open Dictionary from a user in the UK. You can submit an entry here.
Quotations
“The script scintillates, and the performance captivates, from start to finish.”
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“Camp out by the mesmerizing Pangong Lake, that scintillates with a million shades of blue.”
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“He conducted himself with grace and dignity. His brilliant mind scintillated and dazzled the world, as usual.”
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Related words
flash, gleam, glint, sparkle
Browse related words in the Macmillan Thesaurus.
