Meanings
plural glimmers
- countablefigurativelyuncountableA faint or remote possibility (as it were a flash of light).
After all, Harmony Korine has no more than a glimmer of talent.
1997, David Denby, “Clawless”, in New York Magazine, volume 30, number 42, page 52 - dateduncountableMica.
- countableneologismuncountablehuman sciencesA subtle, positive micromoment that evokes feelings of joy, safety, calm, or connection.
present singular third person glimmers · participle present glimmering · participle past glimmered · past glimmered
- intransitiveTo shine with a faint, unsteady light.
The fireflies glimmered in the dark.
2 more examples
the glimmering dawn a glimmering lamp
The west yet glimmers with some streaks of day.
c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii]Synonyms: flicker, glimpse, shimmer, twinkle, coruscate, flash, gleam, glitter
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA subtle, positive micromoment that evokes feelings of joy, safety, calm, or connection.
verbTo shine with a faint, unsteady light.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Englishglimeren
- Englishglimmer
From Middle English glimeren, glemeren (“to glimmer”), equivalent to glim (“to shine”) + -er (frequentative suffix). Cognate with German Low German glimmern (“to glimmer”), German glimmern (“to glimmer”), Danish glimre (“to glimmer”), Swedish glimra (“to glimmer”). Doublet of glimpse. Sense 5 was coined in the 2020s in analogy to trigger.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian мъждукане, проблясък
- мъждукане (măždukane)faint light
- проблясък (probljasăk)flash of light
- мъждукам (măždukam)to shine with a faint, unsteady light
Esperanto glimi
- glimito shine with a faint, unsteady light
Finnish tuike, pilke
- tuikefaint light
- pilkefaint light
- valonpilkahdusflash of light
- valonpilkahdusfaint or remote possibility
- värefaint or remote possibility
- kipinäfaint or remote possibility
- tuikkiato shine with a faint, unsteady light
- kajastaato shine with a faint, unsteady light
French lueur, lueur
- lueurfaint light
- lueurfaint or remote possibility
- émettre une lueurto shine with a faint, unsteady light
German Schimmer, glimmern
- Schimmerfaint light
- glimmernto shine with a faint, unsteady light
Hindi टिमटिमाना
- टिमटिमाना (ṭimṭimānā)to shine with a faint, unsteady light
Icelandic skíma
- skímafaint light
Irish léaró
- léaróflash of light
Italian barlume, filo
- barlumefaint light
- filofaint light
- barlumefaint or remote possibility
Māori hīnātore, tīramarama
- hīnātorefaint light
- tīramaramato shine with a faint, unsteady light
Norwegian skimmer, glimt
- skimmerfaint light
- glimtflash of light
- glimtfaint or remote possibility
- anelsefaint or remote possibility
- glimteto shine with a faint, unsteady light
- skimreto shine with a faint, unsteady light
- blinketo shine with a faint, unsteady light
Portuguese vislumbre, clarão
- vislumbrefaint light
- clarãoflash of light
- vislumbrefaint or remote possibility
- vislumbrarto shine with a faint, unsteady light
Romanian scânteia
- scânteiato shine with a faint, unsteady light
Russian мерца́ние, капля
- мерца́ние (mercánije)faint light
- капля (kaplja)faint or remote possibility
- проблеск (problesk)faint or remote possibility
- искорка (iskorka)faint or remote possibility
- мерца́ть (mercátʹ)to shine with a faint, unsteady light
Spanish luz tenue, titileo
- luz tenuefaint light
- titileofaint light
- escintilarto shine with a faint, unsteady light
- cintilarto shine with a faint, unsteady light
- centellarto shine with a faint, unsteady light
- centellearto shine with a faint, unsteady light
Swedish glänsa, glittra
- glänsato shine with a faint, unsteady light
- glittrato shine with a faint, unsteady light
- skinato shine with a faint, unsteady light
- glimmato shine with a faint, unsteady light
- glimrato shine with a faint, unsteady light
Ukrainian мерехті́ння
- мерехті́ння (merextínnja)faint light
Urdu ٹمٹمانا
- ٹمٹمانا (ṭimṭimānā)to shine with a faint, unsteady light
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with glimmer
Cite this entry
glimmer. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/glimmer
“glimmer.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/glimmer. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “glimmer,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/glimmer.
Source: glimmer on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.