sparkle
gb/spˈɑɹkəl/ us/spˈɑɹkəl/
B1
Inglés
~ 9600
Acepciones
0 acepciones
unknown
B1
action
1
shine with tiny bright flashes
to shine with many small points of light
Patrón de uso:
[something] sparkles (in/under [light])
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes use *sparkle* when they only mean 'shine' in a general way. *Sparkle* suggests many small, bright points of light, not just a soft or steady light.
Sinónimos
glitter (often suggests stronger or showier light, especially from metal or decorations)
|
twinkle (often used for soft, gentle flashes of light, especially stars or eyes)
Antónimos
dull (describes something that does not shine or reflect light)
Colocaciones
sparkle in the sunlight
|sparkle on the water
|sparkle under the lights
|stars sparkle
|eyes sparkle
|sparkle like diamonds
Temas
nature
|visual
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- Fresh snow sparkled in the morning sun.
- Her diamond ring sparkled as she raised her hand.
- City lights sparkled on the surface of the river.
- Tiny crystals sparkled on the top of the cake.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The stars sparkle in the clear night sky.
- Her necklace sparkled under the bright lights.
- The lake sparkled in the afternoon sun.
- The clean glasses sparkled on the table.
Sustantivo
B2
entity
2
small bright flashes of light
the look of many small lights on something that is shining
Patrón de uso:
the sparkle of [something]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes confuse *sparkle* (the visual effect) with *sparkles* (small pieces of shiny material) or with *glitter* (the material itself).
Sinónimos
glitter (can refer both to the shining effect and to the material that produces it)
|
shine (more general; does not always imply many tiny points of light)
Antónimos
dullness (the state of not being bright or shiny)
Colocaciones
the sparkle of the snow
|the sparkle of the stars
|diamond sparkle
|extra sparkle
|with a little sparkle
|lose its sparkle
Temas
visual
|nature
|fashion
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- The moonlight gave the sea a silver sparkle.
- The sparkle of the snow made the whole valley look magical.
- He polished the car until it had a mirror-like sparkle.
- The ring caught the light and showed a sudden sparkle.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- I love the sparkle of the stars at night.
- The new shoes had a nice sparkle.
- Rain on the window had a soft sparkle in the sun.
- Cleaning the glasses brought back their sparkle.
Verbo
B2
action
3
be lively, bright, or witty
to be very full of life, energy, or clever ideas
Patrón de uso:
[someone]/[something] sparkles (with [quality])
Error frecuente:
Some learners think *sparkle* in this sense can take a direct object (e.g. *He sparkled the party*). Instead, say *He made the party sparkle* or *He added sparkle to the party.*
Sinónimos
shine (a broader word; can mean to be very good at something, not only lively or witty)
|
dazzle (suggests impressing people very strongly, often more intense than *sparkle*)
Antónimos
drag (informal; describes something slow or boring that feels heavy and without energy)
Colocaciones
sparkle with energy
|sparkle with intelligence
|sparkle with laughter
|sparkle on stage
|sparkle in conversation
|sparkle with wit
Temas
emotions
|communication
|entertainment
Ejemplos
- Her conversation sparkled with sharp jokes and quick comebacks.
- The band really sparkled in the second half of the show.
- His writing sparkles with fresh ideas and surprising images.
- The children sparkled with excitement as the show began.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The actor sparkled in his new movie.
- Her eyes sparkled with joy when she saw the gift.
- The party only started to sparkle after more people arrived.
- His speech sparkled with funny stories.
Sustantivo
B2
entity
4
liveliness or exciting quality
a special energy or fun quality that makes something interesting
Patrón de uso:
[something] has/lacks sparkle
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes confuse this abstract noun sense with the physical light sense. In sentences about events, talks, or performances, *sparkle* usually means liveliness, not actual light.
Sinónimos
vitality (more formal; focuses on strong life and energy, not always on being entertaining)
|
spark (very close in meaning; may sound a bit more informal or emotional)
Antónimos
dullness (describes something boring or without interest or energy)
Colocaciones
add some sparkle
|full of sparkle
|a bit of sparkle
|lacked sparkle
|without sparkle
|bring back the sparkle
Temas
emotions
|entertainment
|communication
|arts_entertainment
Ejemplos
- The lecture was clear but lacked any real sparkle.
- Her performance brought a new sparkle to the old play.
- The second season has all the sparkle the first one was missing.
- A little music would add some sparkle to this event.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The movie was okay, but it had no sparkle.
- Her smile gives the room a special sparkle.
- Music can bring sparkle to a boring party.
- The show had more sparkle than I expected.
Verbo
B2
action
5
of drinks, to be fizzy
to have many small bubbles, like soda or sparkling wine
Patrón de uso:
[drink] sparkles in [container]
Error frecuente:
Learners often describe fizzy drinks only as *gas* or *with gas*. In English, *sparkling* or *sparkle* is more natural for this kind of drink.
Sinónimos
fizz (focuses more on the sound and feel of the bubbles than on the visual effect)
Antónimos
go flat (describes a drink losing its bubbles and becoming still)
Colocaciones
sparkled in the glass
|lightly sparkling water
|sparkling wine
|champagne sparkling
|sparkled on his tongue
|sparkle with bubbles
Temas
food
|daily life
|food_drink
|daily_life
Ejemplos
- The champagne sparkled in their tall glasses.
- Mineral water sparkled softly as she poured it.
- The cider sparkled with fine, steady bubbles.
- The drink no longer sparkled after sitting out all night.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The wine sparkled in the glass.
- I like water that sparkles a little.
- The soda did not sparkle anymore because it was old.
- Cold champagne sparkled on my tongue.
Sustantivo
C1
entity
6
tiny shiny decorative pieces
very small shiny pieces used to make things look pretty, usually called *sparkles*
Patrón de uso:
[someone] puts sparkles on [something]
Error frecuente:
Learners often use only *glitter* for the material. *Sparkles* is also common in everyday speech, especially with children or fashion items.
Sinónimos
glitter (the most common word for this material; *sparkles* can sound more childlike or playful)
Antónimos
plainness (describes something with no decoration or shine)
Colocaciones
covered in sparkles
|silver sparkles
|tiny sparkles
|sparkles on her dress
|sparkles in the craft box
|shake off the sparkles
Temas
fashion
|art
|daily life
|arts_entertainment
|clothing
|daily_life
Ejemplos
- Her shoes were covered in pink sparkles.
- He found sparkles all over the floor after the craft project.
- The dress had tiny silver sparkles sewn into the fabric.
- She brushed the last sparkles off her hands.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- There are blue sparkles on her nails.
- The kids put sparkles on the paper stars.
- I found sparkles on my shirt after the party.
- She likes clothes with a lot of sparkles.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
sparkle
AFI
GB/spˈɑɹkəl/
US/spˈɑɹkəl/
Sílabas y acento
sparkle (1 sílaba)
Stress on 1st syllable (sparkle)
Formas de la palabra
Noun
- Base: sparkle
- Plural: sparkle, sparkles
Verb
- Base: sparkle
- 3rd Person Singular: sparkles
- Present Participle: sparkling
- Past: sparkled
Familia de palabras
Forms
sparkles
noun
sparkling
verb
sparkled
verb
Core family
sparkly
adjective
Related words
spark
noun B2
sparkler
noun
Expresiones
a sparkle in someone's eye
1/ə spˈɑɹkəl ˈɪn sˈʌmwˌʌnz ˈaɪ/
fixed phrase
bright look showing emotion
a small bright look in a person's eye that shows a strong feeling, like joy, love, or a secret idea
Ejemplos
- There was a sparkle in his eye when he talked about the trip.
- She listened with a sparkle in her eye, clearly enjoying the story.
add sparkle to
1/ˈæd spˈɑɹkəl tə/
fixed phrase
make something more lively
to make something more fun, interesting, or exciting
Ejemplos
- Her stories always add sparkle to our meetings.
- Some good music would add sparkle to this quiet party.
lose its sparkle
1/lˈuz ˈɪts spˈɑɹkəl/
fixed phrase
stop being lively or exciting
to become less fun, less interesting, or less attractive than before
Ejemplos
- The show has lost its sparkle in the latest season.
- The job was exciting at first, but it slowly lost its sparkle.
sparkle with
1/spˈɑɹkəl wˈɪθ/
fixed phrase
be full of visible quality
to have a lot of a clear quality, such as energy, joy, or intelligence
Ejemplos
- Her voice sparkled with excitement as she told the news.
- The article sparkles with fresh ideas and examples.