The word **闪烁** is a compound formed by combining two characters with closely related meanings, a common method in Chinese known as **synonym compounding**. The first character, **闪** (shǎn), primarily means "to flash" or "to dodge," carrying the core idea of a sudden, brief burst of light or movement. The second character, **烁** (shuò), means "to glisten" or "to sparkle," emphasizing the bright, shining quality of light. When paired, their semantic meanings reinforce and nuance each other, creating the vivid, dynamic concept of **flickering, twinkling, or glimmering**—like starlight or an unsteady flame—where the light is both intermittently visible and radiant.