Glimmen

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To emit a weak or gentle light, appearing with a subdued brightness
2. To give off a soft or slight glow, often dim and subtle in appearance
3. To radiate a faint or muted light, showing a gentle shimmering effect

Etymology: "Glimmen" is a Dutch and Low German verb meaning to glow faintly or smolder, and it is the source of the English "glimmer" in the same sense of a weak, wavering light. Its root is related to the Old English "glim" (a light or gleam), and Dutch speakers still use it for the faint glow of embers or a dim lamp. The verb is itself a base form, not a shortened or inflected one. The English relative "glimmer," meanwhile, came into use in the 1400s as a verb meaning to shine faintly, with the noun following later. Its family also includes "glimpse," which originally meant a brief flicker of light before taking on the sense of a quick look.

Synonyms: shine, glimmer, flicker, twinkle, sparkle

Antonyms: darken, dim, dull