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Glittering vs Shiny - What's the difference?

glittering | shiny |

As adjectives the difference between glittering and shiny

is that glittering is brightly sparkling while shiny is reflecting light.

As nouns the difference between glittering and shiny

is that glittering is the appearance of something that glitters while shiny is (informal) anything shiny; a trinket.

As a verb glittering

is .

glittering

English

Verb

(head)

    • Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Brightly sparkling.
  • *
  • *:It was flood-tide along Fifth Avenue; motor, brougham, and victoria swept by on the glittering current; pretty women glanced out from limousine and tonneau; young men of his own type, silk-hatted, frock-coated, the crooks of their walking sticks tucked up under their left arms, passed on the Park side.
  • (lb) Valuable, desirable.
  • *1994 , (Nelson Mandela), (Long Walk to Freedom) , Abacus 2010, p.85:
  • *:Gaur was an example of a man without a BA who seemed infinitely better educated than the fellows who left Fort Hare with glittering degrees.

    • Synonyms

    * aglitter

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The appearance of something that glitters.
  • * (John Locke)
    • Every man carries about him a touchstone, if he will make use of it, to distinguish substantial gold from superficial glitterings , truth from appearances.

    shiny

    English

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • Reflecting light.
  • * :
    • Bender: Bite my shiny metal ass!
  • Emitting light.
  • (colloquial) Excellent; remarkable.
  • (obsolete) Bright; luminous; clear; unclouded.
  • * (rfdate) (Dryden)
    • Like distant thunder on a shiny day.
  • * The Lincolnshire Poacher (traditional song)
    • When I was bound apprentice in famous Lincolnshire
    Full well I served my master for nigh on seven years
    Till I took up to poaching as you shall quickly hear
    Oh, 'tis my delight on a shiny night in the season of the year.

    Derived terms

    * shininess

    Noun

    (shinies)
  • (informal) Anything shiny; a trinket.