v. 1
To manifest itself by, or as if by, emitting sparks; to glisten; to flash.
v. 2
To emit sparks; to throw off ignited or incandescent particles.
The wood was sparkling in the bonfire.
n. 1
A little spark; a scintillation.

Related words

Word family: sparkleberry sparkly sparkler

Forms

Plural: sparkles → scintillations, glisters, lights, coruscations…
Past participle: sparkled
e.g. sparkled → glittered, twinkled, glistened, shined…

Choose the right word

Sparkle, Light, Scintillation or Scintillations?

A sparkle is a sudden light, as of sparks thrown out; scintillation is the more exact and scientific term for the actual emission of sparks, also the figurative term for what suggests such emission; as, scintillations of wit or of genius.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

shine The stars shine brightly in the vastness of space.
glitter Just a little more glitter here, and we're done.
twinkle The plane disappeared in the twinkle of an eye.
glisten The morning sun makes the hoarfrost on the twigs and branches glisten.
fizz This cola has lost its fizz and doesn't taste any good.

Popularity over time

Word	1850 → 2019	Trend
sparkle		rising
shine		rising
glitter		rising
twinkle		rising
glisten		rising
fizz		rising

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

4 letters: glow¹, foam¹, fizz¹
5 letters: light¹, flash¹, shine¹, spark¹, blaze¹, gleam¹, froth¹, glint¹
6 letters: bubble², mantle²
7 letters: glitter², twinkle², glimmer², flicker², shimmer², radiate³, glisten², spangle², glister
9 letters: coruscate
10 letters: effervesce
11 letters: scintillate, coruscation
13 letters: scintillation

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (bubble² = 2 syllables).