What does "flicker" mean?
An unsteady flash of light.
Flicker
/ˈflɪkə/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An unsteady flash of light.
- Grammar: flicker is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: waver, 3-d, aflicker, animated cartoon.
- Useful contrasts: assurance, certainty, constant glow.
- Usage evidence: This fluorescent lamp is starting to flicker. We'll have to replace it.
How to use "flicker"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "flicker" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "flicker" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "flicker" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "flicker" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "flicker" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "waver" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "flicker", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An unsteady flash of light. countable, uncountable
"the flicker of the dying candle"
- 2 Any of certain small woodpeckers, especially of the genus Colaptes. US
- 3 One who flicks.
- 4 the act of moving back and forth wordnet
- 5 A short moment. countable, figuratively, uncountable
"a flicker of hope"
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 Ellipsis of channel flicker (“remote control”). abbreviation, alt-of, colloquial, ellipsis
- 7 North American woodpecker wordnet
- 8 a momentary flash of light wordnet
Verb
- 1 To burn or shine unsteadily, or with a wavering light. intransitive
"The shadows flicker to and fro."
- 2 move back and forth very rapidly wordnet
- 3 To keep going on and off; to appear and disappear for short moments; to flutter. intransitive
"A strong desire to smash up everything in the room kept flickering in his head."
- 4 flash intermittently wordnet
- 5 To flutter or flap. ambitransitive
"And flickering on her nest made short essays to sing."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 shine unsteadily wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"This fluorescent lamp is starting to flicker. We'll have to replace it."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "flicker"?
Common synonyms include: waver, 3-d, aflicker, animated cartoon, backfire, bake.
How do you use "flicker" in a sentence?
This fluorescent lamp is starting to flicker. We'll have to replace it.
How do you pronounce "flicker"?
Pronounced /ˈflɪkə/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English flikeren (“to flutter”), from Old English flicerian, flicorian (“to flutter”), from Proto-West Germanic *flikurōn. Akin to Saterland Frisian flikkerje (“to flicker”), West Frisian flikkerje (“to flicker”), Dutch flikkeren (“to flicker, flutter”), German Low German flickern (“to light up, flash, flicker”). Compare Old English flacor (“flickering, fluttering”), German flackern (“to flicker, flutter”), Old English flēogan (“to fly”).
Etymology 2
1808, American English, probably echoic of the bird's call, or from the white spotted plumage which appears to flicker. It is also true that the bird vigorously flicks away treebark, woodchips, and ground detritus while feeding, which may possibly explain the name.
Etymology 3
From flick + -er.