spark
gb/spˈɑɹk/ us/spˈɑɹk/
B1
Inglés
~ 6500
Acepciones
0 acepciones
Sustantivo
B2
entity
1
small sign of a feeling or quality
A very small sign of a feeling or quality, like hope, interest, or energy.
Patrón de uso:
a spark of [emotion/quality]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes confuse this sense with the physical fire meaning and say things like *a fire spark of hope*. Here, spark is already metaphorical, so it is enough to say *a spark of hope* or *a glimmer of hope*.
Sinónimos
glimmer (Often sounds slightly more poetic or literary, but similarly suggests a small, faint amount.)
|
trace (More neutral and scientific-sounding; does not carry the same feeling of energy or potential.)
Antónimos
apathy (Describes a complete lack of interest or emotion, the opposite of having even a small spark of feeling.)
Colocaciones
a spark of hope
|a spark of life
|a spark of interest
|a spark of genius
|lose your spark
|show a spark of
Temas
emotions
|personality
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- Despite the bad news, there was still a spark of hope in her eyes.
- The team showed a spark of life in the second half of the game.
- Her comment revealed a spark of genuine curiosity about the topic.
- After months of stress, he felt his spark slowly returning.
- The film has a spark of originality that makes it stand out.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- There is still a small spark of hope.
- The child’s eyes had a spark of joy.
- After the holiday, I got my spark back.
- The plan shows a spark of creativity.
- His voice lost its spark when he was tired.
Verbo
B2
action
2
cause something to begin or happen
To make something start or grow, often suddenly, like a fight, debate, or change.
Patrón de uso:
to spark [something]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes overuse *start* and do not use *spark* for strong or sudden reactions. They may also say *spark to* by mistake, as in *spark to a debate*; the correct pattern is *spark a debate*, without *to*.
Sinónimos
trigger (Very close in meaning; often sounds slightly more technical or neutral, especially in news or scientific writing.)
|
provoke (Often suggests causing a strong, sometimes angry, reaction on purpose.)
Antónimos
quell (Means to stop or calm something such as a protest or unrest, the opposite of starting it.)
|
defuse (Means to reduce tension or danger in a situation so that a crisis or conflict does not start.)
Colocaciones
spark a debate
|spark a protest
|spark outrage
|spark a crisis
|spark conflict
|spark a backlash
Temas
society
|communication
|politics
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- The new tax law sparked fierce public debate.
- His comments on social media sparked a wave of criticism.
- The video quickly went viral and sparked a global conversation about privacy.
- The accident sparked renewed calls for better road safety.
- Rising food prices have sparked protests across the country.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The news story sparked a big debate online.
- Her question sparked an interesting discussion in class.
- The joke sparked laughter in the room.
- The small problem sparked a big fight.
- The song sparked memories from my childhood.
Sustantivo
B1
entity
3
tiny piece or flash of fire
A very small piece or flash of fire or light, like what comes from a fire or electricity.
Patrón de uso:
a spark from [something]
Error frecuente:
Learners may say *sparks of fire* when *sparks* already implies fire; simply say *sparks flew from the fire*, not *sparks of fire flew from the fire*.
Sinónimos
ember (Refers to a small piece of glowing coal or wood from a fire, usually larger and longer-lasting than a spark.)
|
flash (General word for a short burst of light; does not suggest a tiny burning particle.)
Antónimos
darkness (Represents the absence of light, which is the opposite of a spark’s brief light.)
Colocaciones
a shower of sparks
|throw off sparks
|electrical sparks
|bright sparks
|a spark flew
|strike a spark
Temas
science
|nature
|technology
Ejemplos
- Sparks flew from the campfire as he threw on another log.
- The metal grinder sent bright sparks across the workshop floor.
- A single spark from the faulty wire started the blaze.
- She watched the sparks rise into the night sky and disappear.
- The plug gave off a small spark when he pulled it out.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- Sparks came from the fire.
- A spark from the candle burned my hand.
- The machine made many small sparks.
- One spark can start a big fire.
- I saw a blue spark when I touched the wire.
Verbo
B2
action
4
produce small flashes of fire or light
To give off small flashes of fire or light, like from wires or metal.
Patrón de uso:
[something] sparks
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes confuse this with the causative sense and say *spark the wire* when they mean the wire itself is producing sparks. Use this intransitively: *The wire is sparking*, not *He is sparking the wire*.
Sinónimos
flash (General word for quick light; does not always suggest burning or electrical contact like spark can.)
Antónimos
go dark (Describes when a light stops shining, the opposite of producing sparks or light.)
Colocaciones
wires sparked
|the fire sparked
|sparking wildly
|sparking loudly
|metal sparking
|the engine sparked
Temas
science
|technology
Ejemplos
- When he plugged in the old lamp, it sparked and then went dead.
- The power cable was sparking, so they switched off the electricity immediately.
- The metal rail sparked as the train’s brakes were applied.
- Dry branches snapped and sparked in the fire.
- The loose wire started sparking against the metal frame.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The wire is sparking. Turn it off.
- The machine sparked and stopped working.
- When I touched the plug, it sparked a little.
- The firewood cracked and sparked.
- The old TV began to spark and smoke.
Sustantivo
B2
entity
5
feeling of romantic or sexual chemistry
A feeling of special romantic or sexual interest between two people.
Patrón de uso:
a spark between [people]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes say *a spark of love* for romantic attraction. Native speakers more often say *a spark between them* or simply *a spark*, not *of love*.
Sinónimos
chemistry (Very close in meaning; slightly more informal and often used in talk about dating and relationships.)
Antónimos
indifference (Lack of interest or feeling, the opposite of feeling a spark with someone.)
Colocaciones
a spark between them
|feel a spark
|no spark
|that first spark
|the spark is gone
|a romantic spark
Temas
relationships
|emotions
Ejemplos
- They went on a date, but there just was not any spark.
- There was an instant spark between them the moment they met.
- Over the years, they worked hard to keep the spark in their marriage.
- The movie is sweet, but the romantic spark between the leads is missing.
- Their onstage spark made the performance unforgettable.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- They had coffee, but she felt no spark.
- There was a spark when they first met.
- The couple is trying to find the spark again.
- I did not feel a spark on the date.
- The film shows the spark between the two stars.
Verbo
B2
action
6
cause interest, curiosity, or creativity
To make a person feel interested, excited, or creative about something.
Patrón de uso:
to spark [interest/curiosity/creativity] (in [someone])
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes say *spark to interest* or *spark an interest to*; the usual patterns are *spark interest* or *spark an interest in something*.
Sinónimos
inspire (Often stronger and more positive; can suggest a deeper or longer-lasting effect.)
|
stimulate (More formal or scientific; can sound less emotional and more technical.)
Antónimos
discourage (Means to make someone feel less interested or less willing to act, the opposite of sparking interest or creativity.)
Colocaciones
spark interest
|spark curiosity
|spark imagination
|spark creativity
|spark enthusiasm
|spark a passion for
Temas
education
|emotions
|creativity
Ejemplos
- Her teacher’s stories sparked his interest in history.
- The workshop is designed to spark creativity in young artists.
- A single book can spark a lifelong love of reading.
- The documentary sparked her curiosity about deep-sea life.
- Their success story sparked new ambitions across the company.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The film sparked my interest in science.
- His teacher sparked a love of music in him.
- The class trip sparked her curiosity about other countries.
- The talk may spark new ideas for you.
- This game can spark creativity in children.
Sustantivo
informal
C1
entity
7
lively, energetic person
A person who is very lively and makes other people feel more active and happy.
Patrón de uso:
[someone] is a real spark
Error frecuente:
Learners may confuse this with the more common phrase *a spark of* plus a quality. When spark refers to a person, it usually appears with words like *the spark of the team* or *a real spark*, not *a spark of a person*.
Sinónimos
livewire (Informal; very similar but can suggest someone almost too energetic or unpredictable.)
Antónimos
wet blanket (Informal expression for someone who kills other people’s fun, the opposite of a lively spark.)
Colocaciones
a real spark
|the spark of the team
|the spark of the party
|a little spark
|bring a spark to the group
|the spark in the office
Temas
personality
|social
|emotions
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- She is the spark of the team, always keeping everyone motivated.
- We need a spark in this office to lift people’s moods.
- Their new manager turned out to be a real spark for the project.
- He was a small boy, but already a spark in the classroom.
- The event lacked a spark to keep the audience engaged.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- She is the spark of the group.
- We need a spark to make this party fun.
- He was a spark in the boring meeting.
- The new student is a real spark in class.
- Without her, the team has no spark.
Sustantivo
slang
C2
entity
8
electrician (slang, mainly UK)
Informal British word for an electrician, a person who works with electrical systems.
Patrón de uso:
call a spark
Error frecuente:
Learners may not recognize this as slang and use it in formal writing. In formal or international English, *electrician* is strongly preferred.
Sinónimos
electrician (Standard, neutral term; not slang or informal.)
Colocaciones
call a spark
|get a spark in
|a good spark
|ask a spark to look at it
|talk to a spark
|qualified spark
Temas
jobs
|technology
|work
Ejemplos
- You should get a spark in to check that wiring.
- My brother is a spark, so he fixed the lights for free.
- Ask a proper spark to do it, not your neighbor.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- They called a spark to fix the light.
- Her uncle is a spark on building sites.
- You must hire a spark for this job.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
spark
AFI
GB/spˈɑɹk/
US/spˈɑɹk/
Sílabas y acento
spark (1 sílaba)
Stress on 1st syllable (spark)
Formas de la palabra
Noun
- Base: spark
- Plural: sparks
Verb
- Base: spark
- 3rd Person Singular: sparks
- Present Participle: sparking
- Past: sparked
Familia de palabras
Forms
sparks
noun
sparking
verb
sparked
verb
Core family
sparkle
verb B1
sparkling
adjective
Related words
sparkly
adjective
sparkler
noun
Expresiones
a spark of hope
1/ə spˈɑɹk əv hˈoʊp/
fixed phrase
a very small amount of hope
A very small feeling of hope that something good may happen.
Ejemplos
- The latest test results gave the family a spark of hope.
- Even a spark of hope can keep people going in hard times.
- The message offered a spark of hope for peace talks.
spark a debate
1/spˈɑɹk ə dɪbˈeɪt/
fixed phrase
cause people to start debating
To make people start arguing or talking strongly for and against a topic.
Ejemplos
- The film has sparked a debate about violence in media.
- Her comments sparked a debate on school uniforms.
- The study sparked a debate among scientists about the results.
spark a movement
1/spˈɑɹk ə mˈuvmənt/
fixed phrase
start a social or political movement
To cause a new social or political group or campaign to start.
Ejemplos
- Her single blog post helped spark a global movement.
- The protest was small, but it sparked a movement for change.
- A few students sparked a movement that later changed the law.
spark joy
1/spˈɑɹk d͡ʒˈɔɪ/
fixed phrase
cause someone to feel joy
To make someone suddenly feel joy or great happiness.
Ejemplos
- If the item does not spark joy, you can give it away.
- The child’s smile sparked joy in everyone around her.
- Traveling to new places always sparks joy for him.
spark off
1/spˈɑɹk ˈɔf/
phrasal verb
cause something (often bad) to start
To cause something to start suddenly, especially trouble, argument, or strong action.
Ejemplos
- The article sparked off a heated argument in the comments section.
- His careless remark sparked off a series of complaints from customers.
- The decision to close the factory sparked off protests in the town.
spark outrage
1/spˈɑɹk ˈaʊtɹˌeɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
cause strong public anger
To make many people feel very angry and shocked.
Ejemplos
- The decision to cut benefits has sparked outrage across the country.
- The politician’s remarks sparked outrage on social media.
- The video sparked outrage when it was shared online.
spark someone's interest
1/spˈɑɹk sˈʌmwˌʌnz ˈɪntɚˌɛst/
fixed phrase
make someone feel interested
To make a person begin to feel interested in something.
Ejemplos
- The trailer really sparked my interest in the movie.
- A school trip to the museum sparked her interest in science.
- The article’s title is designed to spark readers’ interest.
spark up
1/spˈɑɹk ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
informal
start smoking or start a conversation
To start something like smoking a cigarette or starting a conversation, especially suddenly or casually.
Ejemplos
- He sparked up a cigarette as soon as he stepped outside.
- She sat down next to me and sparked up a conversation.
- People were shy at first, but the host soon sparked up some lively chat.
spark up a conversation
1/spˈɑɹk ˈʌp ə kˌɑnvɚsˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
start talking with someone
To start talking with someone in a friendly way, often when you did not know them before.
Ejemplos
- On the train he sparked up a conversation with the person next to him.
- It is easy to spark up a conversation if you ask simple questions.
- She can spark up a conversation with anyone she meets.
the spark that started it all
1/ðə spˈɑɹk ðˈæt stˈɑɹtɪd ˈɪt ˈɔl/
fixed phrase
literary
initial cause of later events
The first action or event that began a long series of later events.
Ejemplos
- That one conversation was the spark that started it all.
- A simple idea became the spark that started it all for the company.
- The photo went viral and became the spark that started it all.