sparkling

/ˈspɑːklɪŋ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈspɑːrklɪŋ/ (ame, ipa)

sparkling — 形容詞

  • sparklingpositive
  • more sparklingcomparative
  • most sparklingsuperlative

1. catching and reflecting light in many small flashes, so that a surface or object

1.形容詞B1
釋義

閃亮；閃爍

因反射光線而閃爍明亮的

catching and reflecting light in many small flashes, so that a surface or object looks bright and lively — like a diamond, clean window, or a smooth stretch of water under direct sun.

例句

Christopher noticed the sparkling diamond bracelet in the jeweller's window display.

Christopher 注意到珠寶店櫥窗裡那條閃亮的鑽石手鍊。

attributive use before nouns (sparkling diamond)

Tamar wiped the kitchen counter until it was sparkling clean.

Tamar 把廚房流理台擦得閃亮乾淨。

collocation: sparkling clean

同義詞
  • glittering

    similar in meaning but often suggests a more scattered, less smooth reflection; common for jewellery and stars

  • shimmering

    suggests a soft, wavering light rather than distinct flashes; often used for water or heat haze

  • twinkling

    suggests a repeated on-off pattern of small lights; used for stars, distant city lights

反義詞
  • dull

    describes a surface that neither shines nor reflects light

  • matte

    describes a finish that deliberately absorbs light rather than reflecting it

用法筆記

Commonly used as an attributive adjective before nouns such as diamond, water, light, surface, smile, eyes. The verb-dropped collocation sparkling clean is idiomatic and means 'extremely clean'.

常見錯誤

❌The building has sparkling lights that do not blink.
✅The building has bright lights that do not blink.
💡Sparkling suggests small, shifting flashes of light; steady light sources should use bright, steady, or constant.

2. full of energy, cleverness, and the ability to attract and hold interest — used

2.形容詞B2
釋義

精彩；活潑

充滿活力、機智而引人入勝的

full of energy, cleverness, and the ability to attract and hold interest — used about a person's conversation, performance, writing style, wit, or personality.

例句

Tunde gave a sparkling speech at the graduation ceremony that held everyone's attention.

Tunde 在畢業典禮上發表了一篇精彩的演說，全場都專注聆聽。

attributive: sparkling + speech / conversation / performance

Nellie is known for her sparkling wit and quick answers in class debates.

Nellie 以她在課堂辯論中機智幽默的反應而聞名。

同義詞
  • brilliant

    stronger in suggesting outstanding intelligence or talent, while sparkling emphasises energetic attractiveness

  • lively

    closer in register, but livelier suggests physical energy and animation, while sparkling adds a layer of wit or cleverness

  • witty

    narrower — only covers humour and clever remarks, not the full range of engaging qualities

反義詞
  • dull

    describes conversation, writing, or personalities that lack interest or energy

  • boring

    stronger negative than dull; suggests the listener feels a sense of tedium

用法筆記

Describes abstract nouns almost exclusively — speech, conversation, wit, humour, personality, performance, writing, review, dialogue. Not used directly of people (*a sparkling person is not idiomatic); instead use sparkling personality or sparkling wit.

常見錯誤

❌My brother is a sparkling person.
✅My brother has a sparkling personality.
💡The adjective modifies abstract qualities, not the person directly.
❌The film had sparkling special effects.
✅The film had sparkling dialogue / reviews.
💡Special effects are visual; use stunning or impressive instead.

3. containing many tiny bubbles of gas that rise to the surface — describing drinks

3.形容詞A2
釋義

氣泡的

飲料中含有許多小氣泡的

containing many tiny bubbles of gas that rise to the surface — describing drinks such as champagne, soda water, mineral water, or carbonated soft drinks.

例句

Cyrus ordered a glass of sparkling water with a slice of lemon.

Cyrus 點了一杯附檸檬片的氣泡水。

collocation: sparkling water

Alessia opened a bottle of sparkling wine to celebrate her sister's engagement.

Alessia 開了一瓶氣泡酒慶祝她姊姊訂婚。

collocation: sparkling wine

同義詞
  • fizzy

    more informal (common in British English); in American English fizzy can sound slightly childish, while sparkling is neutral

  • carbonated

    more technical; used on product labels but less common in everyday speech

  • effervescent

    very formal and scientific; describes bubbles escaping from a liquid

反義詞
  • still

    the standard term for non-carbonated drinks — still water, still wine

  • flat

    describes a formerly sparkling drink that has lost its bubbles

用法筆記

Standard attributive usage (sparkling wine, sparkling water) and predicative usage (this water is sparkling). For soft drinks, sparkling is used for deliberately carbonated beverages; for natural spring water, sparkling (or naturally sparkling) indicates water with naturally occurring bubbles at the source.

常見錯誤

❌I bought a bottle of sparkling water to clean my windows.
✅I bought a bottle of sparkling water because I wanted a fizzy drink.
💡Sparkling water in the drink sense is carbonated; for cleaning windows use regular water or a cleaning product.