glancing
Americanadjective
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striking obliquely and bouncing off at an angle.
a glancing blow.
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brief and indirect.
glancing references to his dubious past.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of glancing
Explanation
If you describe something as glancing, that means it's quick and angled, like the glancing blow you give a fellow actor with your stunt sword. An onstage sword fight, especially one that's played for comedy, is full of glancing hits. These are aimed to bounce, or glance, off their objects. The oldest use of glancing is "strike obliquely, without full impact," from an Old French word meaning "to make slippery." Another way to use this adjective is to mean "indirect," like the glancing references you make to dogs in every conversation with your parents, hoping they'll get the hint and adopt a puppy.
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.
“We have each other’s phone numbers,” said Nadella, glancing at the jury.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026
Serbian midfielder Samardzic held his composure to slam home the penalty left-footed with the ball glancing the underside of the crossbar on its way into the net.
From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026
Like Pawson on Saturday, Gillett said contact was glancing.
From BBC • Jan. 19, 2026
“I don’t understand,” they say, glancing down at their EBT card.
From Salon • Jan. 3, 2026
I asked, glancing around at the immensity of the ship’s deck.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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.
