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Shimmer vs Glitter - What's the difference?

shimmer | glitter |

As verbs the difference between shimmer and glitter

is that shimmer is to shine with a veiled, tremulous, or intermittent light; to gleam faintly; to glisten; to glimmer while glitter is to sparkle with light; to shine with a brilliant and broken light or showy luster; to gleam.

As nouns the difference between shimmer and glitter

is that shimmer is a faint or veiled and tremulous gleam or shining; a glimmer while glitter is a bright, sparkling light; brilliant and showy luster; brilliancy; as, the glitter of arms; the glitter of royal equipage.

shimmer

English

(wikipedia shimmer)

Verb

(en verb)
  • To shine with a veiled, tremulous, or intermittent light; to gleam faintly; to glisten; to glimmer.
  • * Tennyson
    • the shimmering glimpses of a stream

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A faint or veiled and tremulous gleam or shining; a glimmer.

    • References

    * *

    glitter

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A bright, sparkling light; brilliant and showy luster; brilliancy; as, the glitter of arms; the glitter of royal equipage.
  • A shiny, decorative adornment, sometimes sprinkled on glue to make simple artwork.

    • Verb

    (en verb)
  • To sparkle with light; to shine with a brilliant and broken light or showy luster; to gleam.
    • a glittering sword
    the glittering ornaments on a Christmas tree
  • * Dryden
    • The field yet glitters with the pomp of war.
  • To be showy, specious, or striking, and hence attractive.
    • the glittering scenes of a court

    Derived terms

    * all that glitters is not gold