scintillate

/ˌsɪntlˈeɪt/

Other forms: scintillating; scintillated; scintillates

The verb scintillate means to twinkle or glow, as in a flickering light. You may find it romantic to sit on the deck overlooking a lake on a clear night, where you can enjoy the scintillating stars in the sky and the reflection of the moon on the water.

Scintillate means to be sparkling and lively. Scintillate has its roots in the Latin words scintillare, meaning "to sparkle," and scintilla, meaning "a spark." The verb scintillate is related to the adjective scintillating and the noun scintilla. If you enjoy witty repartee, people may say your conversation scintillates with humor and they enjoy how you are so clever.

Definitions of scintillate

1. verb

   emit or reflect light in a flickering manner
   synonyms: twinkle, winkle

   type of:

   beam, shine

   emit light; be bright, as of the sun or a light
2. verb

   give off
   “the substance scintillated sparks and flashes”

   synonyms:

   twinkle, winkle

   emit or reflect light in a flickering manner

   type of:

   emit, give off, give out

   give off, send forth, or discharge; as of light, heat, or radiation, vapor, etc.
3. verb

   reflect brightly
   synonyms: coruscate, sparkle

   type of:

   reflect, shine

   be bright by reflecting or casting light
4. verb

   physics: fluoresce momentarily when struck by a charged particle or high-energy photon
   type of:

   fluoresce

   exhibit or undergo fluorescence
5. verb

   be lively or brilliant or exhibit virtuosity
   “A scintillating conversation”

   synonyms: coruscate, sparkle

   type of:

   be

   have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)