Synonyms of flicker

flicker 1 of 2

verb

ˈfli-kər 

as in to flutter

to make an irregular series of quick, sudden movements

a dragonfly flickering above the salt marsh

Synonyms & Similar Words

• flutter
• flit
• dart
• dance
• flick
• fly
• scurry
• flirt
• wander
• flitter
• zip
• speed
• sail
• scuttle
• zoom
• sprint
• zing
• dash
• roam
• scamper
• skitter
• skip
• shoot
• meander
• scud
• ramble

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• hang
• float
• hover

flicker

2 of 2

noun

1

as in movie

a story told by means of a series of continuously projected pictures and a sound track

as a child, the future director would spend hours sitting in the theater, totally entranced by the flickers

Synonyms & Similar Words

• movie
• film
• flick
• documentary
• motion picture
• moving picture
• feature
• picture
• animated cartoon
• short
• cartoon
• short subject
• silent
• talkie
• docudrama
• featurette
• B movie
• B picture
• cofeature

2

as in flurry

a sudden and usually temporary growth of activity

usually there's a flicker in car sales when the new models come out

Synonyms & Similar Words

• flurry
• burst
• flutter
• outburst
• flash
• flare
• surge
• outbreak
• spurt
• increase
• eruption
• renewal
• recurrence
• flare-up
• boost
• explosion
• recrudescence
• flood
• pickup
• upturn
• rush
• upswing
• spree
• paroxysm
• volley
• epidemic
• binge
• commotion
• deluge
• spate
• furor
• jag
• uproar

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• calm
• slump
• doldrums

3

as in hint

an almost imperceptible sign of something

there was a flicker of recognition in her eye when I mentioned his name, but she denied knowing him

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hint
• glimmer
• touch
• breath
• trace
• suggestion
• sign
• whiff
• tang
• wind
• indication
• scent
• evidence
• inkling
• intimation
• mark

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• saturation
• permeation
• pervasion

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of flicker

Verb

Visitors to the theater have reported cold air on hot days, lights mysteriously flickering off and strange activity in the balcony. — Kaitlyn Keegan, Hartford Courant, 25 Sep. 2026

Soon, the pincher floats free of her consciousness, briefly inhabiting the mind of Pola or Ines before flickering back into herself. — Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026

Noun

Jackson’s availability was curbed by red cards at Chelsea — in Bruges, a barge and shirt pull with defender Han-Beom Lee suggested those flickers of fury and confrontation still burn. — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

For children themselves, wonder remains abundant—in the bigness of a Tyrannosaurus rex in a museum, or the flicker of fireflies in the summer dusk. — Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026