flickered; flickering
ˈfli-k(ə-)riŋ 
1
: to move irregularly or unsteadily : flutter
Shadows flickered on the wall.
2
: to burn or shine fitfully or with a fluctuating light
a candle flickering in the window
3
: to appear or pass briefly or quickly
Thoughts flickered through his mind.
A smile flickered across her face.
1
a
: an act of flickering
b
: a sudden brief movement
the flicker of an eyelash
c
: a momentary quickening
a flicker of anger
d
: a slight indication : hint
a flicker of recognition
2
a
: a wavering light
the flicker of a candle
b
: a repeated momentary defect in a cathode-ray tube image caused especially by slow scanning of the screen
3
dated, informal
: movie
—often used in plural
: a large barred and spotted North American woodpecker (Colaptes auratus) with a brown back that commonly forages on the ground for ants compare red-shafted flicker, yellow-shafted flicker
Synonyms
Examples of flicker in a Sentence
Verb
A TV was flickering in the background.
The overhead light kept flickering off and on.
Thoughts flickered through his mind.
A smile flickered across her face.
Noun (1)
as a child, the future director would spend hours sitting in the theater, totally entranced by the flickers
usually there's a flicker in car sales when the new models come out
there was a flicker of recognition in her eye when I mentioned his name, but she denied knowing him
Recent Examples on the Web
Katie Campione, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2024
The Fifty Shades Sensation Tongue Vibrator is, in and of itself a story for the ages, with a customizable range of 15 patterns, 5 levels of intensity, and a tapered, flickering tip that keeps the shivers coming.
—Annie Blackman, Allure, 28 Oct. 2024
Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2024
Guilt and regret swirl around in both the past and present, alleviated by occasional flickers of happiness.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for flicker 
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Verb
Just as the last light is flickering out, a flower grows out of the soil.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2024
The Fifty Shades Sensation Tongue Vibrator is, in and of itself a story for the ages, with a customizable range of 15 patterns, 5 levels of intensity, and a tapered, flickering tip that keeps the shivers coming.
—Annie Blackman, Allure, 28 Oct. 2024
Noun
As auroras form, Earth's magnetic field redirects the particles toward the poles through a process that produces a stunning display of rays, spirals and flickers that have fascinated humans for millennia.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2024
Guilt and regret swirl around in both the past and present, alleviated by occasional flickers of happiness.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for flicker
Articles Related to flicker
Dictionary Entries Near flicker
Cite this Entry
“Flicker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flicker. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
flicker
2 of 3 noun1
: an act of flickering
2
: a brief stirring
a flicker of interest
3
: a flickering light
flicker
3 of 3 noun
: a large insect-eating North American woodpecker with a black crescent on the breast and yellow or red on the underside of the wings and tail compare red-shafted flicker, yellow-shafted flicker
Medical Definition
flicker
noun
flick·er
ˈflik-ər
: the wavering or fluttering visual sensation produced by intermittent light when the interval between flashes is not small enough to produce complete fusion of the individual impressions
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