glance
1 Americanverb (used without object)
-
glances,
present (3rd person singular)
-
glanced,
past participle, past
-
glancing
present participle
-
to look quickly or briefly.
-
to gleam or flash.
a silver brooch glancing in the sunlight.
- Synonyms:
- scintillate, glisten
-
to strike a surface or object obliquely, especially so as to bounce off at an angle (often followed byoff ).
The arrow glanced off his shield.
-
to allude briefly to a topic or subject in passing (usually followed byat ).
verb (used with object)
-
glances,
present (3rd person singular)
-
glanced,
past participle, past
-
glancing
present participle
-
to cast a glance or brief look at; catch a glimpse of.
-
to cast or reflect, as a gleam.
-
to throw, hit, kick, shoot, etc. (something) so that it glances off a surface or object.
noun
-
a quick or brief look.
-
a gleam or flash of light, especially reflected light.
- Synonyms:
- glitter
-
a deflected movement or course; an oblique rebound.
-
Digital Technology. information on an electronic screen that can be understood quickly or at a glance.
Get news and weather glances on your phone.
Tap anywhere on a glance to open the app.
-
Cricket. a stroke in which the batsman deflects the ball with the bat, as to leg.
-
Archaic. a passing reference or allusion; insinuation.
noun
verb
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(intr) to look hastily or briefly
-
(intr; foll by over, through, etc) to look over briefly
to glance through a report
-
(intr) to reflect, glint, or gleam
the sun glanced on the water
-
to depart (from an object struck) at an oblique angle
the arrow glanced off the tree
-
(tr) to strike at an oblique angle
the arrow glanced the tree
noun
-
a hasty or brief look; peep
-
from one's first look; immediately
-
a flash or glint of light; gleam
-
the act or an instance of an object glancing or glancing off another
-
a brief allusion or reference
-
cricket a stroke in which the ball is deflected off the bat to the leg side; glide
noun
Usage
Glance is sometimes wrongly used where glimpse is meant: he caught a glimpse (not glance ) of her making her way through the crowd
Synonym Usage
See flash.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
glancesimple
-
glancessimple
-
have glancedperfect
-
has glancedperfect
-
am glancingprogressive
-
are glancingprogressive
-
is glancingprogressive
-
have been glancingperfect progressive
-
has been glancingperfect progressive
Past
-
glancedsimple
-
had glancedperfect
-
was glancingprogressive
-
were glancingprogressive
-
had been glancingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of glance1
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English verb glenchen, glansen, variant (perhaps influenced by obsolete glent “to shine”) of Middle English glacen “to strike a glancing blow,” from Old French glacier “to slip, slide,” from Latin glaciāre “to freeze”; see glacé, glint
Origin of glance2
First recorded in 1795–1805; from German Glanz “brightness, luster”
Explanation
Glance involves quick contact. When you glance at someone you take a quick peek at them. When a knife blow glances off you, it doesn't penetrate, but hits at an angle. When you glance at someone, it's often because you don't want to be caught staring. Remember: "Strangers in the night/exchanging glances..." In certain circles, if someone is caught glancing at someone else's girlfriend, he'll find himself in a fist fight, praying only that his beefy opponent will deliver only a glancing blow.
Vocabulary lists containing glance
"All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury
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Unit 1: Telling Details
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Beowulf vocabulary
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
At first glance, this sounds like a disagreement over whether a computer can be trusted to hear “no onions” rather than “more onions.”
From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026
A quick glance from the sidewalk shows a midsize home in the Valley.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
“At first glance, these are devastating figures for German manufacturing,” said Ralph Solveen, an economist at Commerzbank.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
He notes that the system is good at picking out very tiny flower buds, which are hard to see at a glance with the naked eye.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
I glance behind me again and laughter sprays out of me.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
A small coterie of dissenters began exchanging knowing glances on campus.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Her performance presents as camp, but her dynamic range of loud cackles and quiet glances is fabulous.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
But Barker only glances at a few relevant themes before turning his gaze just when things are getting interesting.
From Salon ● Jun. 4, 2026
While Wednesday night's victory over Rayo may help keep players satisfied with Europa League football now secured for next season, their triumph will inevitably attract more admiring glances at their players.
From BBC ● May 28, 2026
She glances at Bernadette, who motions her on.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
As I peeled the tape off my picture frames and glanced around the cleaned apartment, I wondered if I had been unnecessarily paranoid.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
When a third opportunity glanced past Ayton’s nonchalantly extended arm, JJ Redick had seen enough.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 10, 2026
He glanced at his staff and shifted in his seat.
From Salon ● Apr. 22, 2026
Before the face-off drama, a twitchy, stone-faced Dubois glanced around at the stained-glass windows as the managers went toe-to-toe backing their men.
From BBC ● Feb. 25, 2026
He glanced in both directions, trying to decide where best to make for the shore.
From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell
"Building is an act of love," he said, glancing down at the ground with his hands in his pockets.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
She says she has been subject to interviews conducted by AI in which software monitors where her eyes are looking to ensure she’s not glancing at an AI-generated script.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
But within just a few months, I’d reverted to my old habits—immediately glancing at and engaging with every ping and alert, and reflexively picking up my phone to scroll through my rotation of go-to websites.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
He said glancing at the the dinosaur next to him in the dirt helps keep him calm and focused.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026
"I solemnly swear," Sam whispered, glancing around to be certain no one could hear.
From "All About Sam" by Lois Lowry
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
