- present participle of glare.
glaring
Americanadjective
-
shining with or reflecting a harshly bright or brilliant light.
- Synonyms:
- blinding
-
very conspicuous or obvious; flagrant.
several glaring errors in spelling.
-
staring in a fiercely or angrily piercing manner.
-
excessively showy or bright; garish.
adjective
-
conspicuous
a glaring omission
-
dazzling or garish
Synonym Usage
See flagrant.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of glaring
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English: see origin at glare 1, -ing 2
Explanation
Whether it's a bright light or a fault, glaring things are obvious. You just can't miss them. Something glaring is obvious to everyone. Sometimes, there's a glaring light that's in your eyes, such as the glaring beams of the sun. Other times, it could be a glaring fault. For example, if you're a very short basketball player, your height is something everyone knows you have to overcome: it's a glaring problem for that sport. Things that are glaring in this way are almost always bad: there aren't any glaring ice cream cones or puppies. You can't avoid looking at things that are glaring, but you wish you could.
Vocabulary lists containing glaring
Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 3
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ACT Vocabulary List
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Beowulf: A New Telling
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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.
Even before the summer rush, nerves were on edge; a January 4 breakdown in the communication system linking air traffic controllers and aircraft had laid bare a glaring weakness.
From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026
They’re peppy and fruity … and a glaring recession indicator.
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026
By late July, as Hearn’s defense counsel moved for release of the grand jury transcripts to expose glaring prosecutorial irregularities, Pirro’s case collapsed.
From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026
But experience is in short supply - a glaring gap in this Liverpool squad and one that needs to be addressed.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
I pull my eyes from the glaring sun overhead and snap back to attention.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
Definitions 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.
