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
Derived 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.
Glancing around the room, a kind-eyed Vedder continued shouting out a number of “EB kids” and families he’s clearly come to know intimately, including a Wisconsin boy, Charlie Knuth, who died this spring at 17.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 24, 2023
Glancing in the rearview mirror, I saw Beau curled up in the backseat, sleeping.
From Salon • Mar. 25, 2023
Glancing at the privacy policy of your typical fintech app reveals a laundry-list of data points being collected about you.
From Slate • Nov. 25, 2022
Glancing around, I saw families eating together, toddlers buckled into strollers and highchairs.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 14, 2022
Glancing at the glass of water Daisy held in her hand, Mama smiled and said, “I think we can forget about the chains for a while. It may be that you’re overdoing this water drinking.”
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
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.
