Gleam vs. Sparkle — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Gleam and Sparkle
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Definitions
Gleam➦
A brief beam or flash of light
Saw gleams of daylight through the cracks.
Sparkle➦
Shine brightly with flashes of light
Her earrings sparkled as she turned her head
Gleam➦
A steady but subdued shining; a glow
The gleam of burnished gold.
Sparkle➦
Be vivacious and witty
After a glass of wine, she began to sparkle
Gleam➦
A brief or dim indication; a trace
A gleam of intelligence.
Sparkle➦
A glittering flash of light
There was a sparkle in his eyes
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Gleam➦
To emit a gleam; flash or glow
"Their tile roofs gleamed in the moon's pallid radiance" (Laura Joh Rowland).
Sparkle➦
Vivacity and wit
She's got a kind of sparkle
Gleam➦
To be reflected as a gleam
The sun gleamed on the water.
Sparkle➦
To give off sparks.
Gleam➦
To be manifested or indicated briefly or faintly.
Sparkle➦
To give off or reflect flashes of light; glitter
"The night seemed very large and still, and the stars sparkled like frost in the black sky" (Laura Ingalls Wilder). "The diamonds sparkled in a sunset ray that came through the slats of the shutters" (Edith Wharton).
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Gleam➦
(countable) An appearance of light, especially one which is indistinct or small, or short-lived.
Sparkle➦
To be reflected in small flashes of light
"The light of the rising moon sparkled on the sea" (Arthur C. Clarke).
Gleam➦
An indistinct sign of something; a glimpse or hint.
The rescue workers preserved a gleam of optimism that the trapped miners might still survive.
Sparkle➦
To be brilliant in performance.
Gleam➦
A bright, but intermittent or short-lived, appearance of something.
Sparkle➦
To make or contain witty or intelligently lively remarks
Their conversation sparkled all evening.
Gleam➦
A look of joy or liveliness on one's face.
Sparkle➦
To release gas bubbles; effervesce
Champagne sparkles.
Gleam➦
(obsolete)
Sparkle➦
A small spark or gleaming particle.
Gleam➦
(countable) Sometimes as hot gleam: a warm ray of sunlight; also, a period of warm weather, for instance, between showers of rain.
Sparkle➦
A glittering quality.
Gleam➦
(uncountable) Brightness or shininess; radiance, splendour.
Sparkle➦
Brilliant animation; vivacity.
Gleam➦
(transitive) Chiefly in conjunction with an adverb: to cause (light) to shine.
Sparkle➦
Emission of gas bubbles; effervescence.
Gleam➦
(intransitive)
Sparkle➦
A little spark; a scintillation.
Gleam➦
To shine, especially in an indistinct or intermittent manner; to glisten, to glitter.
Sparkle➦
Brilliance; luster.
The sparkle of a diamond
Gleam➦
(figuratively) To be strongly but briefly apparent.
Sparkle➦
Liveliness; vivacity.
The sparkle of his conversation over dinner
Gleam➦
Of a hawk or other bird of prey: to disgorge filth from its crop or gorge.
Sparkle➦
The quality of being sparkling or fizzy; effervescence.
Gleam➦
To disgorge filth, as a hawk.
Sparkle➦
(intransitive) To emit sparks; to throw off ignited or incandescent particles
The wood was sparkling in the bonfire.
Gleam➦
To shoot, or dart, as rays of light; as, at the dawn, light gleams in the east.
Sparkle➦
(by extension) To shine as if throwing off sparks; to emit flashes of light; to scintillate; to twinkle
The stars sparkle in the sky.
Gleam➦
To shine; to cast light; to glitter.
Sparkle➦
(intransitive) To manifest itself by, or as if by, emitting sparks; to glisten; to flash.
Gleam➦
To shoot out (flashes of light, etc.).
Dying eyes gleamed forth their ashy lights.
Sparkle➦
(intransitive) To emit little bubbles, as certain kinds of liquors; to effervesce
Sparkling wine
Sparkling water
Gleam➦
A shoot of light; a small stream of light; a beam; a ray; a glimpse.
Transient unexpected gleams of joi.
At last a gleamOf dawning light turned thitherward in hasteHis [Satan's] traveled steps.
A glimmer, and then a gleam of light.
Sparkle➦
(transitive) To emit in the form or likeness of sparks.
Gleam➦
Brightness; splendor.
In the clear azure gleam the flocks are seen.
Sparkle➦
To disperse.
Gleam➦
An appearance of reflected light
Sparkle➦
To scatter on or over.
Gleam➦
A flash of light (especially reflected light)
Sparkle➦
A little spark; a scintillation.
As fire is wont to quicken and goFrom a sparkle sprungen amiss,Till a city brent up is.
The shock was sufficiently strong to strike out some sparkles of his fiery temper.
Gleam➦
Be shiny, as if wet;
His eyes were glistening
Sparkle➦
Brilliancy; luster; as, the sparkle of a diamond.
Gleam➦
Shine brightly, like a star or a light
Sparkle➦
To emit sparks; to throw off ignited or incandescent particles; to shine as if throwing off sparks; to emit flashes of light; to scintillate; to twinkle; as, the blazing wood sparkles; the stars sparkle.
A mantelet upon his shoulder hangingBretful of rubies red, as fire sparkling.
Gleam➦
Appear briefly;
A terrible thought gleamed in her mind
Sparkle➦
To manifest itself by, or as if by, emitting sparks; to glisten; to flash.
I see bright honor sparkle through your eyes.
Sparkle➦
To emit little bubbles, as certain kinds of liquors; to effervesce; as, sparkling wine.
Sparkle➦
To emit in the form or likeness of sparks.
Sparkle➦
To disperse.
The Landgrave hath sparkled his army without any further enterprise.
Sparkle➦
To scatter on or over.
Sparkle➦
Brightness and animation of countenance;
He had a sparkle in his eye
Sparkle➦
The occurrence of a small flash or spark
Sparkle➦
The quality of glittering or sparkling brightly
Sparkle➦
Reflect brightly;
Unquarried marble sparkled on the hillside
Sparkle➦
Be lively or brilliant or exhibit virtuosity;
The musical performance sparkled
A scintillating conversation
His playing coruscated throught the concert hall
Sparkle➦
Emit or produce sparks;
A high tension wire, brought down by a storm, can continue to spark
Sparkle➦
Form bubbles;
The boiling soup was frothing
The river was foaming
Sparkling water
