French word

étinceler

Pronunciation

IPA/etɛ̃səle/

Meaning

  • verbsparkle

Example

Les étoiles étincelaient dans le ciel.

The stars sparkled in the sky.

Illustration for étinceler (sparkle)

More examples

Son regard étincelait quand il parlait de son projet.

His gaze sparkled when he talked about his project.

Core concept

Sharp pinpoints of light flashing briefly, like stars giving off tiny sparks.

Common phrases

  • le regard étinceler

    one's eyes sparkle

  • étinceler de bonheur

    sparkle with joy

  • étinceler dans la nuit

    sparkle in the night

Similar words

briller: Shine brightly and continuously for a long time.
clignoter: Turn on and off repeatedly at short intervals.
scintiller: Flicker with small, delicate points of light.

Definition in French

Donner un éclat bref et vif, comparable à une petite étincelle, sans durée prolongée.

Word origin

French étinceler was formed from étincelle, which developed through Old French from Latin scintilla, meaning "spark."

Usage tips

  • In the present tense, étinceler doubles its l before silent endings, as in j'étincelle and ils étincellent.

Opposites

  • s'assombrirdarkenverb
  • s'éteindrego outverb

Related words

  • étincelésparklingadjective
  • étincelantscintillatingadjective

Word lists with this word