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Scintillate: meaning, definitions and examples

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scintillate

 

[ ˈsɪntɪleɪt ]

Verb
Context #1 | Verb

shine brightly

To scintillate means to emit sparks or to shine brightly, often with a twinkling effect. It is frequently used to describe the shimmering light of stars or the flicker of a flame.

Synonyms

flicker, glimmer, shine, sparkle, twinkle

Examples of usage

  • The stars scintillate in the night sky.
  • The fireplace scintillates with a warm glow.
  • Her eyes scintillate with excitement as she shares the news.
Context #2 | Verb

wit or humor

Scintillate can also refer to the display of cleverness, wit, or humor. In this context, it suggests a bright and sparkling quality in conversation or intellect.

Synonyms

brilliance, cleverness, smartness, sparkle, wit

Examples of usage

  • His scintillating remarks made the discussion lively.
  • She has a scintillating wit that keeps everyone engaged.
  • They scintillate with humor during their performances.

Translations

Translations of the word "scintillate" in other languages:

🇵🇹 brilhar

🇮🇳 चमकना

🇩🇪 funkeln

🇮🇩 berkilau

🇺🇦 іскритися

🇵🇱 błyszczeć

🇯🇵 きらめく

🇫🇷 scintiller

🇪🇸 centellear

🇹🇷 parıldamak

🇰🇷 반짝이다

🇸🇦 يتلألأ

🇨🇿 iskřit

🇸🇰 iskriť

🇨🇳 闪烁

🇸🇮 iskriti

🇮🇸 skína

🇰🇿 жарқырау

🇬🇪 ბრწყინვა

🇦🇿 şölələnmək

🇲🇽 centellear

Etymology

The word 'scintillate' comes from the Latin word 'scintillare', which is a frequentative form of 'scintilla', meaning 'spark' or 'little spark'. The root 'scindere' means 'to split', which is related to the concept of something bright and radiant that appears to emerge from darkness. The term was adopted into English in the mid-19th century to describe both the visual sparkle of light as well as the intellectual brilliance of wit. Over time, it has maintained its association with both physical brightness and metaphorical luminosity, reflecting the dual nature of how it is used in contemporary language.

Word Frequency Rank

At position #40,026, this word is among the less frequently used terms in English. While interesting to know, it's not crucial for most English learners unless needed for specific purposes.