Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

glimmer

/ˈɡlɪməː/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.11 in modern English

Syllables
glimm-er
IPA
/ˈɡlɪməː/
12
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A faint light; a dim glow.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A flash of light.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A faint or remote possibility (as it were a flash of light).

Countable; Uncountable

noun

Mica.

Dated; Uncountable

noun

A subtle, positive micromoment that evokes feelings of joy, safety, calm, or connection.

Countable; Uncountable

verb

To shine with a faint, unsteady light.

Intransitive verb

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English glimeren, glemeren (“to glimmer”), equivalent to glim (“to shine”) + -er (frequentative suffix). Cognate with German Low German glimmern (“to glimmer”), German glimmern (“to glimmer”), Danish glimre (“to glimmer”), Swedish glimra (“to glimmer”). Doublet of glimpse. Sense 5 was coined in the 2020s in analogy to trigger.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈɡlɪməː/
  • British English: /ˈɡlɪməː/

Usage

Inflected Forms

glimmers (plural) glimmers (present, singular) glimmering (participle, present) glimmered (participle, past) glimmered (past)

Derived Forms

flimmer aglimmer glimmerite glimmersome glimmery

Phrases

glimmer-gowk glimmer of hope

Frequently Paired Words

bloomscrolling hopecore

Synonyms

flicker shimmer sparkle glimpse comfort twinkle coruscate flash gleam glitter glisten luster

Antonyms

trigger

Rhymes With

swimmer simmer zimmer shimmer slimmer trimmer dimmer rimmer timur skimmer schwimmer grimmer

Questions

How do you pronounce glimmer?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈɡlɪməː/.
What does glimmer mean?
A faint light; a dim glow.
Where does glimmer come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce glimmer

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “glimmer”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈɡlɪməː/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “glimmer”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “glimmer” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.