scintillate
verb
Thomas E. YoungLawrence EisenbergGeoffrey Arnott
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The Sparkling History of Scintillate
The initial spark of the verb scintillate was the Latin noun scintilla, meaning, well, “spark.” The ember of scintilla in turn developed into the verb scintillāre, “to sparkle.” Scintillate retains this meaning in expressing the action of gleaming, glittery things, as when jewelry or the surface of a lake in full sun scintillates. But the word can and often does mean “to sparkle” in a figurative sense—that is, to dazzle or impress with a brilliant performance—making the word apt for both celestial and cinematic scintillating stars.
Examples of scintillate in a Sentence
Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 10 May 2023
The garland dance was just one of the nice sequences highlighting ensembles and throngs: courtiers and nymphs; christening, birthday and nuptial invitees; the attendants of the Lilac Fairy (an able, if not scintillating Adelaide Clauss); and more.
—Celia Wren, Washington Post, 5 May 2023
Hill has positioned himself as a candidate for the Smythe Trophy (awarded to the most valuable player of the Stanley Cup Finals) following another scintillating performance in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
—oregonlive, 11 June 2023
Indeed, in his third career start Sunday night, Miller offered more of the scintillating same — even if the Dodgers couldn’t capitalize upon it in a frustrating 4-1 loss at Chavez Ravine.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2023
See all Example Sentences for scintillate 
Dictionary Entries Near scintillate
Cite this Entry
“Scintillate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scintillate. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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scintillate
verb
Medical Definition
scintillate
intransitive verb
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