Spark — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈspärk/

Meaning & Definition of Spark

Spark (noun)

  1. a small particle of a burning substance thrown out by a body in combustion or remaining when combustion is nearly completed
  2. a hot glowing particle struck from a larger mass; especially, one heated by friction
  3. a luminous disruptive electrical discharge of very short duration between two conductors separated by a gas (such as air)
  4. a foppish young man
  5. lover, beau

Spark (verb)

  1. to throw out sparks
  2. to flash or fall like sparks
  3. to produce sparks; specifically, to have the electric ignition working
  4. woo, court

Spark (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to give off sparks

    "the broken radio sparked and smoked the instant it was plugged in"

    similar: scintillate, sparkle
    related: flash, shine, twinkle, blaze, burn, combust, flame, flare (up), glow, light (up), radiate

  2. to cause to function

    "interesting questions that are designed to spark the reader's brain"

    similar: activate, actuate, crank (up), drive, move, run, set off, start, touch off, trigger, turn on
    related: kick over, turn over, charge, electrify, energize, fire, fuel, generate, power, push, discharge, launch, release, switch, trip, reactivate, recharge, arouse, excite, jump-start, kick-start, stimulate, vitalize, ignite, incite, instigate, provoke, quicken, stir up, accelerate, catalyze, speed (up), step up
    opposite: cut, cut out, deactivate, kill, shut off, turn off
    near: arrest, brake, check, cut off, draw up, halt, jam, stall, stick, stop, decelerate, repress, slow, stunt, suppress

  3. to rouse to strong feeling or action

    "President Kennedy's inspirational speeches sparked a generation of young idealists to enter the public arena"

    similar: arouse, encourage, excite, fire (up), impassion, incite, instigate, move, pique, provoke, rev (up), stimulate, stir, build a fire under
    related: fan, ignite, inflame, kindle, trigger, activate, animate, drive, energize, galvanize, induce, inspire, key (up), motivate, motive, pump up, quicken, set off, vitalize, abet, ferment, foment, raise, whip (up), anger, enrage, madden, upset, jeer, taunt, tease, aggravate, annoy, bother, exasperate, gall, get, irritate, vex
    near: calm, soothe, subdue, tranquilize, appease, mollify, pacify, placate

Spark (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a very small amount

    "not a spark of interest in the actress's memoirs"

    similar: ace, bit, crumb, dab, dram, driblet, glimmer, hint, lick, little, mite, nip, ounce, particle, peanuts, ray, scintilla, scruple, shade, shadow, shred, skosh, smack, smell, smidgen, snap, soupçon, spatter, speck, splash, spot, sprinkling, strain, streak, suspicion, tad, touch, trace, drop in the bucket
    related: hoot, iota, jot, minim, minimum, modicum, semblance, syllable, tittle, vestige, whit, atom, dot, fleck, flyspeck, grain, granule, molecule, morsel, mote, nubbin, patch, scrap, dash, drop, pinch, part, portion, section, bite, nibble, taste, handful, scattering, smatter, smattering, dose, shot, chip, flake, fragment, shard, shiver, sliver, smithereens, splinter, tatter, clipping, paring, shaving
    near: abundance, barrel, boatload, bucket, bundle, bushel, deal, fistful, gobs, heaps, lashings (chiefly British), loads, lot, mass, mess, mountain, much, oodles, passel, peck, pile, plenty, potful, profusion, quantity, raft, reams, scads, stack, wad, wealth, volume, bonanza, embarrassment, excess, overabundance, overage, overflow, overkill, overmuch, oversupply, superabundance, superfluity, surfeit, surplus, chunk, hunk, lump, slab

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Spark

The most common words with a similar meaning to Spark:

scintillate, sparkle, activate, actuate, crank (up), drive, move, run, set off, start, touch off, trigger, turn on, arouse, encourage, excite, fire (up), impassion, incite, instigate, pique, provoke, rev (up), stimulate, stir, build a fire under, ace, bit, crumb, dab, dram, driblet, glimmer, hint, lick, little, mite, nip, ounce, particle

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Spark

Words with the opposite meaning of Spark:

cut, cut out, deactivate, kill, shut off, turn off

Related Words for Spark

flash, shine, twinkle, blaze, burn, combust, flame, flare (up), glow, light (up), radiate, kick over, turn over, charge, electrify, energize, fire, fuel, generate, power, push, discharge, launch, release, switch, trip, reactivate, recharge, jump-start, kick-start

Near Antonyms of Spark

arrest, brake, check, cut off, draw up, halt, jam, stall, stick, stop, decelerate, repress, slow, stunt, suppress, calm, soothe, subdue, tranquilize, appease, mollify, pacify, placate, abundance, barrel, boatload, bucket, bundle, bushel, deal

Word Forms of Spark

Inflections: sparked, sparking, sparks

Derived words: sparkish (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Spark

Middle English sparke, from Old English spearca; akin to Middle Dutch sparke spark and perhaps to Latin spargere to scatter

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Spark

Words & Phrases Containing Spark

spark chamber, spark gap, spark plug, bright spark

Frequently Asked Questions about Spark

What does "Spark" mean?

"Spark" means a small particle of a burning substance thrown out by a body in combustion or remaining when combustion is nearly completed. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: a small particle of a burning substance thrown out by a body in combustion or remaining when combustion is nearly completed. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Spark"?

Other words for "Spark" include scintillate, sparkle, activate, actuate, crank (up), drive, move and run. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Spark" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Spark"?

There are 184 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Spark". Common alternatives include scintillate, sparkle, activate, actuate, crank (up), drive, move, run, set off and start.

What is the opposite of "Spark"?

Antonyms of "Spark" include cut, cut out, deactivate, kill, shut off and turn off. Near antonyms include arrest, brake, check and cut off.

How do you use "Spark" in a sentence?

Examples of "Spark" in a sentence: "the broken radio sparked and smoked the instant it was plugged in"; "interesting questions that are designed to spark the reader's brain"; "President Kennedy's inspirational speeches sparked a generation of young idealists to enter the public arena".

Is "Spark" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Spark" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Spark" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Spark" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Spark"?

"Spark" is pronounced /ˈspärk/.