glitzern

Glitzern is a German verb meaning to glitter or glisten, i.e., to emit or reflect bright, small-scale light in a sparkling way. It describes surfaces or moments where light is broken into many points, such as stars, jewelry in sunlight, dew on grass, or raindrops on a window. The verb is most often intransitive, used with a subject that performs the glittering: Die Sterne glitzerten am Himmel; Die Lichter glitzerten im Wasser.

The related noun das Glitzern denotes the effect or appearance of glittering. Adjectival forms include glitzernd, used to describe something that is sparkling or glittering, as in ein glitzerndes Gemälde or glitzernde Augen. The noun Glitzer (glitter) is also common in German and refers to the material or the general concept of sparkling.

Etymology and related terms: glitzern is built on the root Glitz–, related to Glitzer (glitter, sparkle). The term is widely used in everyday language, literature, journalism, and art criticism to convey a vivid, shimmering quality without specifying the exact light source.

Usage notes: glitzern conveys a lively, flickering or multifaceted sparkle rather than a steady shine. It can be used metaphorically to describe non-literal glittering, such as a scene or atmosphere that appears flashy or picturesque, though it remains relatively neutral in tone compared with more evaluative terms.

See also: glänzen, schimmern, glitz, Glitzer.