Sparkly means shining with many small, bright flashes of light. A sparkly dress catches the light and twinkles as someone moves. Fresh snow on a sunny morning looks sparkly because ice crystals reflect sunlight in all directions. Glitter is sparkly. So are sequins, diamonds, and the surface of a lake when the sun hits it just right.

The word describes something more lively than just shiny. A polished car is shiny, but it's not sparkly. Sparkly things have a dancing, flickering quality, like they're lit up with tiny points of light that seem to move and change. When you shake a snow globe, the glitter inside becomes sparkly as it swirls around.

People often use sparkly to describe things that feel festive or magical: sparkly decorations, sparkly nail polish, or sparkly stars on a clear night. The word itself sounds like what it means, with that “sp” sound suggesting a little burst of light. Sometimes people describe eyes as sparkly when someone is excited or happy, meaning they seem to shine with energy and joy.