The lexical meaning of the word "sparkle" depends on the context, the meaning put by the author, the circumstances and the general tone of the sentence. The word "sparkle" has three meanings: one direct and two figurative. To figure out which of them would be appropriate to use in which situation, you need to consider each value separately, with examples of use.
Direct meaning
The imperfective verb "sparkle", derived from the noun "spark", is used to describe an object that emits sparks, luminous, sparkling, brilliant. Here are a few examples of what can literally sparkle:
- The inspector would have thought that everything was in order with the fire safety in the building, but in time he noticed that one of the outlets was sparking.
- Sparking wiring seems like a minor nuisance, but it cannot be ignored, because even small problems and one short circuit can lead to a real fire.
- Travellers worried about the clouds all evening, but withat nightfall, to their delight, they saw how the stars sparkled in the sky, and realized that the downpour did not threaten them.
- Even those who prefer hot summers to cold winters cannot resist the beauty of freshly fallen snow sparkling in the sun.
All the given examples of the lexical meaning of the word "sparkle" describe objects or phenomena that literally radiate brilliance: socket, wiring, stars and snow.
Figurative meaning - about the look
You can sparkle not only in the literal sense. Another lexical meaning of "sparkle" is to shine, glow with joy or some other strong feeling. So often they talk about eyes, about a look, less often about a smile. Here are some examples of how you can weave this elegant metaphor into your text:
- It was not difficult to guess what my friend was feeling: every time this girl's shoes crossed the threshold, his eyes sparkled with admiration.
- It's hard to give bad news to a person whose eyes sparkle with hope and faith in a brighter future.
- Sometimes seriousness and responsibility are not as important as confidence, courage and a sparkling lively look.
This lexical meaning of "sparkle" is good in that it hasn't been used often enough yet to become a literary cliché. However, this metaphor should still not be abused.
Figurative meaning - about the phenomenon and appearance
Another lexical meaning of the word"sparkle" - suddenly, expressively, brightly appear. This can be said about some event, conversation, statement, joke, interesting thought, theatrical production - in a word, about everything that can be of at least some interest to the inquisitive human mind. Here are some examples of how the word is used in this context:
- His appearance was always accompanied by friendly joy and warmth of the family, loud laughter and sparkling jokes, and it seems that no one could remain indifferent to such fun.
- Whenever she began to re-read her favorite book, the author's words sparkling with wisdom took on a new, sometimes quite unexpected meaning in her eyes.
This lexical meaning of the word "sparkle" is used even less often than the previous one, so not only has it not become a cliché, but it can even be considered a fresh find.
