Twinkly

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Characterized by small, rapid flashes of light creating a sparkling or shimmering effect; exhibiting a lively or playful brightness in appearance; suggesting a joyful or cheerful gleam in someone's eyes
2. Emitting intermittent or flickering points of light reminiscent of stars; displaying a radiant or gleeful expression; conveying an impression of delightful or enchanting luminosity
3. Shining with a series of brief, bright gleams similar to twinkling stars; showing vivacious or spirited brightness; indicating a happy, sparkling visual quality or mood

Etymology: "Twinkly" is simply "twinkle" with the suffix "-y" attached, meaning "having the quality of twinkling." The suffix has a long pedigree: it descends from an Old English ending "-ig," which carried the sense of "full of" or "characterised by," and which was shared across the Germanic languages. Over the Middle English period the ending softened into the "-y" we use today, so the same small piece of grammar that turns "sand" into "sandy" or "cloud" into "cloudy" is at work here. The base word, "twinkle," is itself an older Germanic formation, traced back through Old English and Proto-Germanic to a root connected with the idea of flickering or quick movement. Adding "-y" gives the adjective its sense of something that keeps flashing or glimmering, as in a twinkly pair of eyes or a twinkly string of lights.

Synonyms: sparkling, shimmering, glittering, gleaming, dazzling

Antonyms: dull, dim, dark, cloudy, gloomy