glancing

American

[glan-sing, glahn-] / ˈglæn sɪŋ, ˈglɑn- /

adjective

striking obliquely and bouncing off at an angle.

a glancing blow.
brief and indirect.

glancing references to his dubious past.

Other Word Forms

glancingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of glancing

First recorded in 1485–95; glance ¹ + -ing ²

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.

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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.

We often hear the VAR has referenced glancing contact to uphold the decison of a yellow card.

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026

Captain Moreno's glancing header from a corner pulled Villarreal level with 20 minutes remaining to secure a point and take him to seven for the season in La Liga.

From Barron's • Jan. 31, 2026

So if, like with Dalot and Sarr, the full boot makes contact with the leg but it comes off quickly that would be considered glancing.

From BBC • Jan. 19, 2026

“I don’t understand,” they say, glancing down at their EBT card.

From Salon • Jan. 3, 2026

She turns the car on, glancing over at me.

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023