Scintillating means sparkling, brilliant, or exceptionally clever and exciting. It describes anything that seems to throw off flashes of light or brilliance.

You might see scintillating used literally to describe things that actually sparkle: scintillating stars on a clear night, or scintillating snow crystals catching the sunlight. More often, though, people use it to describe conversation, ideas, or performances that feel brilliant and energizing. A scintillating conversation at the dinner table jumps between fascinating topics, with everyone contributing clever thoughts. A scintillating performance by a musician or actor feels electric and captivating.

The word suggests exceptional quality and brilliance. A scintillating book report makes your classmates lean forward in their seats, eager to hear more. Scintillating wit makes people laugh while also thinking, “wow, that was smart.”

When someone calls a party or event scintillating, they mean it sparkled with energy and intelligence, like those stars twinkling in the night sky, but transferred to human creativity and conversation.