How to Use iridescence in a Sentence

iridescence

noun
  • For an airy take on amethyst, go for a lavender hue with pink iridescence.
    — Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 19 Feb. 2026
  • Each glass shimmers with a bit of iridescence for a wintry look.
    — Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Sometimes iridescence can be seen far from the sun but is most frequent near to it.
    — Angela Fritz, Washington Post, 26 June 2017
  • What is missing is the iridescence.
    — Douglas Goodwin, The Conversation, 1 June 2026
  • The idea that iridescence could be a tool used by animals to hide is over a hundred years old.
    — Sara Kiley Watson, Popular Science, 23 Jan. 2020
  • An ocean, dressed in sky’s iridescence, drifts glacially between us.
    — Ama Codjoe, The New York Review of Books, 1 Dec. 2022
  • In the right light, the greater’s head glows with a green iridescence, while the lesser’s shines a dark purple.
    — M.d. Johnson, Field & Stream, 8 Feb. 2024
  • The head iridescence may be green, blue or purple, depending on how the light hits.
    — Jim Gilbert, Star Tribune, 18 Mar. 2021
  • Little Richard had an image that was off-the-hook enough to match the iridescence of his sound.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 19 Jan. 2023
  • The entire cocoon, or chrysalis, will then be veiled in a shroud of clear balloons with a hint of iridescence.
    — Lisa Deaderick, sandiegouniontribune.com, 12 Jan. 2018
  • It is covered in groovy colors with a metallic iridescence.
    — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 7 Jan. 2026
  • The study is the first to show that iridescence can work as a form of camouflage, the researchers report.
    — Rodrigo Pérez Ortega, Science | AAAS, 23 Jan. 2020
  • Iridescence like this happens when the clouds are very thin and are made of similar-sized water droplets.
    — Angela Fritz, Washington Post, 26 June 2017
  • The long, pointy shape was painted with a metalic bluish-gray slate polish with hints of iridescence.
    — Marci Robin, Allure, 13 Sep. 2021
  • Today, birds with iridescence, such as male birds of paradise, use their flashy colors to attract mates.
    — Kristin Hugo, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2018
  • There was an unusual luster to his fur, a silvery iridescence.
    — David Canfield, EW.com, 24 Oct. 2019
  • For iridescence and translucence, the Judson windows are hard to match.
    — Brian T. Allen, National Review, 21 Nov. 2020
  • When preserved in alcohol, the catfish are a duller color and lose their iridescence.
    — Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 12 Feb. 2024
  • The kitchen has a hushed quality due to blue-green Japanese tiles, which give the back wall a dark iridescence.
    — J. S. Marcus, WSJ, 24 Feb. 2021
  • Often, the appearance of cloud iridescence is compared to oil films in water.
    — Kathryn Prociv, Washington Post, 30 Mar. 2018
  • Embrace the witch kitsch of the 1990s with moons and stars, as well as touches of metallics and iridescence.
    — Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Mar. 2023
  • Embrace the witch kitsch of the 1990s with moons and stars, as well as touches of metallics and iridescence.
    — Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Mar. 2023
  • Or perhaps a cross between a pig and a snail that shimmers with a psychedelic iridescence?
    — Christof Koch, Scientific American, 1 Nov. 2015
  • With its long lines and oil-slick iridescence, the Akhal-Teke looks fae and almost unsettling.
    — Amelia Soth, JSTOR Daily, 2 Dec. 2024
  • Some have enormous eyes and broadcast a rainbow iridescence that would not look out of place beneath a glass counter at Tiffany’s.
    — New York Times, 30 Mar. 2021
  • At first, they were puzzled because the iridescence is inconsistent—strong in some species, but weak in others.
    — Ed Yong, The Atlantic, 18 Oct. 2017
  • From the flashiness of fish scales to the luster of butterfly wings, iridescence is everywhere.
    — Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Jan. 2020
  • Biologists have mostly thought of iridescence as a way for animals to show off to attract mates.
    — Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 19 Mar. 2020
  • Silky and shiny with a touch of trendy iridescence, these cookies are an elegant update to seasonal pastels.
    — Emily Vanschmus, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Sep. 2022
  • Silky and shiny with a touch of trendy iridescence, these cookies are an elegant update to seasonal pastels.
    — Emily Vanschmus, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Sep. 2022

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'iridescence.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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