glimpse
Americannoun
-
glimpses
plural
-
a very brief, passing look, sight, or view.
-
a momentary or slight appearance.
-
a vague idea; inkling.
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Archaic. a gleam, as of light.
verb (used with object)
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glimpses,
present (3rd person singular)
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glimpsed,
past participle, past
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glimpsing
present participle
verb (used without object)
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glimpses,
present (3rd person singular)
-
glimpsed,
past participle, past
-
glimpsing
present participle
-
to look briefly; glance (usually followed byat ).
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Archaic. to come into view; appear faintly.
noun
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a brief or incomplete view
to catch a glimpse of the sea
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a vague indication
he had a glimpse of what the lecturer meant
-
archaic a glimmer of light
verb
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(tr) to catch sight of briefly or momentarily
-
to look (at) briefly or cursorily; glance (at)
-
archaic (intr) to shine faintly; glimmer
Usage
Glimpse is sometimes wrongly used where glance is meant: he gave a quick glance (not glimpse ) at his watch
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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glimpsesimple
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glimpsessimple
-
have glimpsedperfect
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has glimpsedperfect
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am glimpsingprogressive
-
are glimpsingprogressive
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is glimpsingprogressive
-
have been glimpsingperfect progressive
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has been glimpsingperfect progressive
Past
-
glimpsedsimple
-
had glimpsedperfect
-
was glimpsingprogressive
-
were glimpsingprogressive
-
had been glimpsingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of glimpse
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English glimsen (verb); cognate with Middle High German glimsen “to glow”; akin to glimmer
Explanation
If you had a brief or incomplete look at something, you had a glimpse. "He didn't mean to peek, but he got a glimpse of his birthday present when his wife tried to sneak it into the house. Of course, it's pretty hard to hide a ladder." You can use glimpse as a noun (like when you "catch a glimpse of someone") or as a verb (like when you "glimpse in someone's direction"). Although the word glimpse is usually used to describe the physical act of sneaking a peek at something, you can also use the noun glimpse to indicate a vague idea or suggestion. Perhaps, you can have a glimpse into your future by observing your parents' actions or by consulting a Tarot card reader.
Vocabulary lists containing glimpse
"Seventh Grade" by Gary Soto
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"The Great Gatsby," Chapter 1 Vocabulary
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List 15
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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:
Survival statistics are very general and only give a glimpse into lymphoma mortality rates.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
Children, so mad about rugby league that they will fashion a ball out of anything they can find, run alongside the team bus, eager to catch a glimpse of their heroes.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
We get more shivers from a glimpse of a very young Jay nervously calling his father “Sir” than we do from Brolin barking caricature-style that “There’s more to existence than fun!”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
A furry predator that lived 165 million years ago is offering scientists an unexpected glimpse into the evolution of mammals.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
She caught a glimpse of the menu as they drew closer.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Ray first conjures his characters’ environment in sharp, brilliant glimpses from the small car the men travel in.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
Just as Dan glimpses Gretta’s raw potential, she sees his lost purpose, and the two launch a mutual rescue mission.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
“It was among the first glimpses of how this model is operating in practice. But we don’t have a great picture on whether it was resolved or whether it will continue to be an issue.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
The trailer for his new show, Meet the Owens, shows glimpses of what appears to be a happy home life with his wife and children.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
I pause, swallowing the urge to break down on seeing glimpses of care in her eyes.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
In his enthusiasm, he may have glimpsed a sliver of truth long before the rest of us knew how to look for it.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 7, 2026
Yet “Born to Kill” thrums with the pent-up energy of a guy who glimpsed the possibility that he might not sing again.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2026
In Coltrane’s drawing, Mr. Alexander once glimpsed a geometric arrangement that helped him think about quantum gravity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026
Who down there, waiting in the out-the-door Sweetgreen line or descending into the subway, has glimpsed the void in the way I have?
From Slate ● Apr. 23, 2026
And if Finn hadn’t ridden the Night Mare, hadn’t glimpsed the gaps for himself, he would have thought Charlie was crazy.
From "Bone Gap" by Laura Ruby
For many people, even glimpsing a hornet's stinger is enough to cause alarm.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 4, 2025
For most of the public, glimpsing this extraordinary mix -- home to the 18-hole Lodhi Course and the nine-hole Peacock Course -- is usually only possible by peering through its entrance gates.
From Barron's ● Oct. 18, 2025
Flashbacks mix in bits and pieces of documentary footage, glimpsing a few highlights of her life.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 14, 2024
“To hear Mitchell hit certain notes again in that inimitable voice was like glimpsing, in the wild, a magnificent bird long feared to have gone extinct.”
From New York Times ● Jan. 29, 2024
From what I’d been able to figure out, I had to touch someone for my abilities to take hold, and even then...it was more like I was glimpsing their thoughts, rather than screwing with them.
From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
