glancing
Americanadjective
-
striking obliquely and bouncing off at an angle.
a glancing blow.
-
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
Harry Kane's penalty was cancelled out by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's clinical finish, before Joao Neves' glancing header and Michael Olise's moment of individual brilliance left the sides level.
From BBC • Apr. 28, 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
Unfashionably for a modern biographer, Mr. Cobb makes only very brief and glancing reference to these peccadilloes.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 4, 2026
“I need to go, sir. Sorry,” he said, glancing at his watch.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
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.
