List of 426 Sets of Synonyms - How they Differ - Total of 2307 Words - 167

SYNONYMS: flash, gleam, glance, glint, sparkle, glitter, glisten, shimmer, glimmer, twinkle, scintillate.
These verbs mean to send forth light.

Flash refers to a sudden and brilliant but short-lived outburst of light: A bolt of lightning flashed across the horizon. Gleam implies transient or constant light that often appears against a dark background: The light gleams an instant, then it's night once more.
Glance refers most often to light reflected obliquely: Moonlight glanced off the windows of the darkened building.
Glint applies to briefly gleaming or flashing light: Rays of sun glinted among the autumn leaves.
Sparkle suggests a rapid succession of little flashes of high brilliance (crystal that sparkled in the candlelight; frost sparkling on the pavement), and glitter, a similar succession of even greater intensity (glittering mirrors).
To glisten is to shine with a sparkling luster: The snow glistened in the dawn light.
Shimmer means to shine with a soft, tremulous light: Everything about her shimmered and glimmered softly.
Glimmer refers to faint, fleeting light: The lights glimmered across the water of the bay.
To twinkle is to shine with quick, intermittent flashes or gleams: A few stars, twinkled faintly in the night sky.
Scintillate is applied to what flashes as if emitting sparks in a continuous stream: Ammonium chloride depositing minute scintillating crystals on the windowpanes.