The lexical meaning of the word “sparkle” depends on the context that the author puts in the meaning, circumstances and general tone of the sentence. The word sparkle has three meanings: one direct and two figurative. To figure out which one in which situation it will be appropriate to use, you need to consider each value separately, with examples of use.
Direct meaning
The imperfective verb "sparkle", descended from the noun "spark", is used to describe some object that emits sparks, glowing, sparkling, brilliant. Here are a few examples of what can literally sparkle:
- The inspector would decide that everything is in order with the fire safety in the building, but noticed in time that one of the outlets sparks.
- Sparkling wiring seems like a minor nuisance, but you can not ignore it, because even small problems and one short circuit can lead to a real fire.
- The travelers were worried about the clouds all evening, but with the onset of night, to their delight, they saw stars sparkle in the sky and realized that rainfall did not threaten them.
- Even those who prefer cold winters to hot summers cannot resist the beauty of the fresh snow sparkling in the sun.
All the above examples of the lexical meaning of the word "sparkle" describe objects or phenomena that literally radiate brilliance: a socket, wiring, stars and snow.
Wearable value - about the look
You can sparkle not only in the literal sense. Another lexical meaning of “sparkle” is to shine, to shine with joy or other strong feeling. So often they talk about the eyes, about the look, less often about the smile. Here are some examples of how this elegant metaphor can be woven into text:
- It was not difficult to guess what my friend was experiencing: every time the shoes of this girl crossed the threshold, his eyes sparkled with admiration.
- It’s hard to tell bad news to a person whose eyes sparkle with hope and faith in a brighter future.
- Sometimes seriousness and responsibility are not as important as confidence, courage and a sparkling lively look.
This lexical meaning of the word “sparkle” is good because it has not yet been used often enough to turn into a literary cliche. Nevertheless, this metaphor should not be abused.
Figurative meaning - about the phenomenon and appearance
Another lexical meaning of the word "sparkle" is to suddenly, expressively, brightly appear. So it can be said about some event, conversation, utterance, joke, interesting thought, theatrical production - in a word, about everything that might be of any interest to an inquiring human mind. Here are some examples of the use of this word in this context:
- His appearance was always accompanied by the friendly joy and warmth of home, loud laughter and sparkling jokes, and, it seems, no one could remain indifferent to such fun.
- Whenever she began to reread her favorite book, the author's sparkling wisdom statements acquired a new, sometimes very unexpected meaning in her eyes.
This lexical meaning of the word “sparkle” is used even less frequently than the previous one, so it’s not something that has become cliche, but it can even be considered a fresh find.