glare

1
[ glair ]
See synonyms for: glareglaredglaring on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a very harsh, bright, dazzling light: in the glare of sunlight.

  2. a fiercely or angrily piercing stare.

  1. dazzling or showy appearance; showiness.

verb (used without object),glared, glar·ing.
  1. to shine with or reflect a very harsh, bright, dazzling light.

  2. to stare with a fiercely or angrily piercing look.

  1. Archaic. to appear conspicuous; stand out obtrusively.

verb (used with object),glared, glar·ing.
  1. to express with a glare: They glared their anger at each other.

Origin of glare

1
First recorded in 1250–1300; (for the verb) Middle English glaren; cognate with Middle Dutch, Middle Low German glaren; akin to glass (compare Old English glæren “glassy”); noun derivative of the verb

synonym study For glare

4. See shine1. 5. Glare, glower, gloat all have connotations of emotion that accompany an intense gaze. To glare is to look piercingly or angrily: A tiger glares at its prey. To glower is to look fiercely and threateningly, as from wrath; it suggests a scowl along with a glare: to glower at a mischievous child. To gloat meant originally to look with exultation, avaricious or malignant, on something or someone: a tyrant gloating over the helplessness of his victim. Today, however, it may simply imply inner exultation.

Other words for glare

Other words from glare

  • glareless, adjective

Words Nearby glare

Other definitions for glare (2 of 2)

glare2
[ glair ]

noun
  1. a bright, smooth surface, as of ice.

Origin of glare

2
First recorded in 1560–70; special use of glare1

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use glare in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for glare (1 of 2)

glare1

/ (ɡlɛə) /


verb
  1. (intr) to stare angrily; glower

  2. (tr) to express by glowering

  1. (intr) (of light, colour, etc) to be very bright and intense

  2. (intr) to be dazzlingly ornamented or garish

noun
  1. an angry stare

  2. a dazzling light or brilliance

  1. garish ornamentation or appearance; gaudiness

Origin of glare

1
C13: probably from Middle Low German, Middle Dutch glaren to gleam; probably related to Old English glæren glassy; see glass

Derived forms of glare

  • glareless, adjective
  • glary, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for glare (2 of 2)

glare2

/ (ɡlɛə) /


adjective
  1. mainly US and Canadian smooth and glassy: glare ice

Origin of glare

2
C16: special use of glare 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012