This fluorescent lamp is starting to flicker. We'll have to replace it.
Source: tatoeba (238016)
Flicker
/ˈflɪkə/
Synonyms for "flicker" (236 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (48)
Strong matches (70)
Related words (118)
ignis fatuusignitionincandesceinglelambencylambent flamelight showmagpiemarshfiremotion picturemotion-picture showmovementmoviemoving picturenewsreelnudieopen fireoscillatepalpitatepalpitation
Show 79 more words
pantparchphotodramaphotoplaypicturepicture showpitapatpitter patterpitter-patterplayplay of lightpornographic filmprairie firepreviewpulsepyrequaverquiverquiveringradiate heatraging fireroastscaldscintillascorchsea of flamesseetheshakesheet of fireshimmershimmer with heatshineshortsignal beaconsilentsilent filmsimmerskin flickslatsmoldersmothersmudge firesneak previewspaghetti westernsparksparklespluttersputtersteamstewstiflesuffocatesuggestionsweatswelterswingtalkietalking picturetechnicolorthree-alarm firethrillerthrobtoasttracetrailertrembletwinkletwinklingtwittertwo-alarm fireunderground filmvestigevibratewatch firewavewaverwesternwildfirewitch fire
Adjective(1 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: waver, 3-d, aflicker, animated cartoon, backfire.
- Sentence evidence is available for flicker, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "flicker".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "flicker"
Keep "flicker" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "flicker" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "flicker", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "flicker" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
22 entriesShowing 16 of 22 words.
More specific
12 entriesCollocations
12 entriesflicker across the roomflicker brieflyflicker durationflicker effectflicker noiseflicker of doubtflicker of hopeflicker of lightflicker on screenflicker rateflicker thresholdflicker-free display
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
2 entriesSample sentences
25 total sentences available.
Fires for luring fish at night flicker on the silhouette of an island.
Source: tatoeba (1256682)
After one last flicker, the candle went out.
Source: tatoeba (6197780)
We have watched the fortunes of eight successive human species for a thousand million years, the first half of that flicker which is the duration of man. Ten more species now succeed one another, or are contemporary, on the plains of Neptune. We, the Last Men, are the Eighteenth Men. Of the eight pre-Neptunian species, some, as we have seen, remained always primitive; many achieved at least a confused and fleeting civilization, and one, the brilliant Fifth, was already wakening into true humanity when misfortune crushed it. The ten Neptunian species show an even greater diversity. They range from the instinctive animal to modes of consciousness never before attained. The definitely sub-human degenerate types are confined mostly to the first six hundred million years of man's sojourn on Neptune.
Source: tatoeba (8877787)
Showing 4 of 25 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "flicker"?
Closest matches include waver, 3-d, aflicker, animated cartoon, backfire.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "flicker"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.