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Glite Dictionary
to sprinkle stardust

to sprinkle stardust

8.8
To add small magical details that make something feel special
  • phrasal verb
  • Literature
translation icon : agregar un toque mágico
  • At the party, she sprinkled stardust over the decorations to create an enchanting atmosphere.

Examples

  • A candy-coloured clown they call the Sandman Tiptoes to my room every night Just to sprinkle stardust and to whisper "Go to sleep"

    Blue Velvet (1986)

  • Just to sprinkle stardust and to whisper - "Go to sleep, everything is all right" -

    Blue Velvet (1986)

  • The artist decided to sprinkle stardust on her painting to give it a magical touch.

  • He loves to sprinkle stardust on everyday moments to make them feel special.

Synonyms

to spice
vsto sprinkle stardust
  • Informal
38 3.6

To make something more interesting and lively

adds playful magical wonder rather than general excitement or interest
to enchant
vsto sprinkle stardust
17 4.8

To make someone feel very pleased and amazed as if by magic

adds a small whimsical quality rather than creating a full magical effect
to salt
vsto sprinkle stardust
5 7.4

To add small interesting details to something to make it more lively

adds a whimsical special magic rather than just small lively touches
to ornament
vsto sprinkle stardust
4 3.7

To add decorations to something to make it look nicer

adds a magical whimsical quality rather than plain decorative detail
to bedazzle
vsto sprinkle stardust
3 5.1

Add bright, shiny pieces to clothes or things to attract attention

adds whimsical charm rather than loudly seeking visual attention
to fancify
vsto sprinkle stardust
  • Informal
7.7

Make something look more attractive by adding decorations

adds a playful magical quality rather than being merely decorative

Antonyms

mundane
80 4.3

Ordinary daily things or events that are not special and often feel boring

to take the shine out of
  • Informal
7.3

To make something less enjoyable or impressive

How Magical

to spellbind
1 7.0
to enchant
17 4.8
to sprinkle stardust
  • Literature
8.8
charm
254 1.7

Surface Forms

sprinkle stardust infinitive
sprinkled stardust past
sprinkled stardust past participle
sprinkling stardust present participle
sprinkles stardust third person singular

Morphology

sprinkle + stardust

The phrase composes directly from 'sprinkle' (scatter) and 'stardust' (a magical/romantic charm), so a learner who knows both constituents can infer the sense of adding an enchanting or whimsical quality. However, the usage is metaphorical and somewhat poetic rather than literal, relying on a figurative noun, so the meaning is not strictly literal or fully predictable.

Etymology

The phrase sprinkle stardust may come from the image of someone using a small hand to sprinkle tiny, shining dust like stardust or fairy dust over something, making it sparkle. So saying someone sprinkled stardust means they added a small, lovely touch that made the thing feel 'magical' or 'special'.