Words to describe light

Question

Hi, When you want to describe a steady light, what verb would you use? ........... If  a light is not steady, but bright, what verb do you use? ..........If a light is intermittent, what verb is good? ..............If a light is dim, what verb do you use? ...........I know words such as flash, glisten, glitter, sparkle, glimmer, shimmer,  etc, but I do not know how to use in correct context. Thanks very much

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

stephenlearnerHi, When you want to describe a steady light, what verb would you use? ...

shine (bright light as in the sun and moon),
beam (concentrated light in one direction, such as a flashlight),
radiate (used for heat, x-rays, radio and other electromagnetic radiation),
glow (usually lower intensity, steady light)
gleam - Reflected light off of surfaces: (a very clean shiny floor gleams),

stephenlearnerIf a light is not steady, but bright, what verb do you use?

blink: not so bright -The lights on an airplane at night blink.
flash - very bright - A yellow warning light flashes; lights on a police car flash
sparkle, glitter - sunlight reflected from snow; when a person is excited, their eyes sparkle, also twinkle

stephenlearner.If a light is intermittent, what verb is good? ..

twinkle - stars on a dark evening, tiny lights for decoration that go on/off
flicker - a candle that is varying in its light output
shimmer, glimmer; used for strange, eerie light - (the aurora borealis shimmers)
glimmer, very faint light such as moonlight reflected from moving water

Stephenlearner · Answer

AlpheccaStars twinkle - stars on a dark evening, tiny lights for decoration that go on/off
AlpheccaStars blink: not so bright -The lights on an airplane at night blink.

Do not the stars on a dark night, the tiny lights for decoration, and the lights on an airplane at night give you the similar feeling? I wonder where their differences lie in. I think they are all on and off quickly.

Once I pointed to the lights on a Christmas tree and said they twinkled, but my American friend say they were blinking.
Now I am confused.

Thanks very much for your answer.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Twinkle is fast and irregular, and the light dims but does not go out completely.
Blink and wink are usually slower and quite regular and predictable - both in pattern (light to dark to light) and in frequency.

Stephenlearner · Answer

Thanks very much.

Can you provide suitable words for these contexts?

welding,
sunshine on the sea surface,
sunshine on the car window glass
sunshine on the airplane wings,
sunshine on the dew drop
sunshine on the glass ball

Stephenlearner · Answer

According to your explanation, the turn signal lights on the car should "blink", right?

When you say a light is not steady, do you mean:
1) it is bright and dim alternately like the night stars and the candle;
2) it is on and off alternately like the lights on some Christmas trees;
3) it gives you a feeling that it is shining in all directions, like the sunshine reflected from a piece of glass, rather than shining in one direction steadily?

Which do you think?

Thanks very much.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

stephenlearnerAccording to your explanation, the turn signal lights on the car should "blink", right?

Yes.

When I say a light is not steady, I mean that it changes its brightness in some way over time.
Some stars are variable stars; they pulsate over periods ranging from days to years.
Pulsars are extreme examples - they can blink with a frequency of seconds or less.

Isotropic - radiating equally in all directions.
anisotropic - the brightness depends on the direction

Stephenlearner · Answer

Thanks very much for your patience and professional help.
I appreciate it.

Anonymous · Answer

I Love Light I Know It Is Bright

Words to describe light

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