glance

¹ American  

[glans, glahns] / glæns, glɑns /

verb (used without object)

glanced, glancing

1. to look quickly or briefly.

2. to gleam or flash.

   a silver brooch glancing in the sunlight.

   Synonyms:

   scintillate, glisten

3. 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.

   Synonyms:

   ricochet, reflect

4. to allude briefly to a topic or subject in passing (usually followed byat ).

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verb (used with object)

Archaic.

glanced, glancing

1. to cast a glance or brief look at; catch a glimpse of.

2. to cast or reflect, as a gleam.

3. to throw, hit, kick, shoot, etc. (something) so that it glances off a surface or object.

noun

1. a quick or brief look.

2. a gleam or flash of light, especially reflected light.

   Synonyms:

   glitter

3. a deflected movement or course; an oblique rebound.

4. 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.

5. Cricket. a stroke in which the batsman deflects the ball with the bat, as to leg.

6. Archaic. a passing reference or allusion; insinuation.

glance ² American  

[glans, glahns] / glæns, glɑns /

noun

1. any of various minerals having a luster that indicates a metallic nature.

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glance ¹ British  

/ ɡlɑːns /

verb

1. (intr) to look hastily or briefly

2. (intr; foll by over, through, etc) to look over briefly

   to glance through a report

3. (intr) to reflect, glint, or gleam

   the sun glanced on the water

4. to depart (from an object struck) at an oblique angle

   the arrow glanced off the tree

5. (tr) to strike at an oblique angle

   the arrow glanced the tree

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noun

1. a hasty or brief look; peep

2. from one's first look; immediately

3. a flash or glint of light; gleam

4. the act or an instance of an object glancing or glancing off another

5. a brief allusion or reference

6. cricket a stroke in which the ball is deflected off the bat to the leg side; glide

glance ² British  

/ ɡlɑːns /

noun

1. any mineral having a metallic lustre, esp a simple sulphide

   copper glance

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glance Idioms  

1. see at first blush (glance).

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Usage

Glance is sometimes wrongly used where glimpse is meant: he caught a glimpse (not glance ) of her making her way through the crowd

Related Words

See flash.

Other Word Forms

• glancing adverb
• glancingly adverb

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”; 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.

Example Sentences

A glance at Hegseth’s own military career makes this plain.

From Slate • Apr. 13, 2026

At first glance, I brushed “Hag” off as just another bad-but-enjoyable film.

From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026

At first glance, the specimen looked typical for its age.

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026

And at first glance, the return of one on loan from a library in the West Midlands would not seem something to cause a lot of fuss.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

He kept his head tucked down, didn’t even glance my way.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

Related Words

• bounce
• carom
• dart
• kiss
• skim
• skip