Iridescent
adjective /ˌɪrɪˈdɛs(ə)nt/ — Showing many colours that shift and shimmer with movement.
Definition
Showing luminous colours that seem to change when seen from different angles — the quality of surfaces that produce colour through the interference of light rather than pigment alone.
Beyond the definition
Iridescence is colour as phenomenon rather than property — the soap bubble, the peacock feather, the hummingbird's throat, the inside of an oyster shell. The colour is not in the surface but in the angle of observation and the behaviour of light. It is inherently dynamic; only movement reveals it.
Origin & history
From Latin iris/iridis (rainbow), from Greek iris (rainbow, the goddess of the rainbow). The rainbow quality — multiple colours shifting with angle of light.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The beetle's wing cases were iridescent — shifting from green to violet as she tilted it.
The bay had an iridescent quality at sunrise — all oil-slick and fire.
His arguments had an iridescent quality — what seemed like one thing from one angle was entirely different from another.
How to use it
This entry uses an adjective. Follow the examples for the nouns it describes and its position in the sentence.
Choose “Iridescent” when the meaning fits your context: Showing luminous colours that seem to change when seen from different angles — the quality of surfaces that produce colour through the interference of light rather than pigment alone.
Synonyms
shimmering, prismatic, nacreous, opalescent
Antonyms
dull, flat, monochrome
Related words
Questions about this word
What does "Iridescent" mean?
Iridescent is adjective meaning: Showing many colours that shift and shimmer with movement.. Showing luminous colours that seem to change when seen from different angles — the quality of surfaces that produce colour through the interference of light rather than pigment alone.
Where does the word "Iridescent" come from?
From Latin iris/iridis (rainbow), from Greek iris (rainbow, the goddess of the rainbow). The rainbow quality — multiple colours shifting with angle of light.