iridescent

adjective

ir·​i·​des·​cent ˌir-ə-ˈde-sᵊnt 

: having or exhibiting iridescence

iridescently adverb

Did you know?

Iris, the Greek goddess of the rainbow, took messages from Mount Olympus to earth, and from gods to mortals or other gods, using the rainbow as her stairway. Iridescence is thus the glowing, shifting, colorful quality of a rainbow, also seen in an opal, a light oil slick, a butterfly wing, or the mother-of-pearl that lines an oyster shell.

Synonyms

• nacreous
• opalescent
• pearlescent

Examples of iridescent in a Sentence

an iridescent soap bubble

Recent Examples on the Web

But the slightly iridescent animal turned out to be a new species. —Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 16 Jan. 2025

The water is emerald and aquamarine in color, sometimes naturally iridescent with rainbow shimmers. —Ann Abel, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025

If Santo Stefano is cerebral, Santa Sabina is ethereal — as iridescent as a soap bubble but as solid as stone. —David Laskin, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2024

Pelosi opted for a Giorgio Armani ensemble consisting of a beige sleeveless midi dress featuring an iridescent ripple pattern and a gold soutache leather jacket. —Hannah Malach, WWD, 9 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Greek īrid-, îris "rainbow, iridescent halo around the moon, a flame, etc." + -escent — more at iris entry 1

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

iridescent

adjective

ir·​i·​des·​cent ˌir-ə-ˈdes-ᵊnt 

: having or showing iridescence

iridescently adverb

Medical Definition

iridescent

adjective

ir·​i·​des·​cent ˌir-ə-ˈdes-ᵊnt 

: having or exhibiting a display of colors producing rainbow effects

iridescence

-ᵊn(t)s 

noun