glare

¹

[glair]

noun

1. a very harsh, bright, dazzling light.

   in the glare of sunlight.

   Synonyms: flash, glitter, flare

2. a fiercely or angrily piercing stare.

3. dazzling or showy appearance; showiness.

verb (used without object)

glared, glaring 

1. to shine with or reflect a very harsh, bright, dazzling light.

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

3. Archaic.,  to appear conspicuous; stand out obtrusively.

verb (used with object)

glared, glaring 

1. to express with a glare.

   They glared their anger at each other.

glare

²

[glair]

noun

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

glare

¹

/ ɡlɛə /

verb

1. (intr) to stare angrily; glower

2. (tr) to express by glowering

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

4. (intr) to be dazzlingly ornamented or garish

noun

1. an angry stare

2. a dazzling light or brilliance

3. garish ornamentation or appearance; gaudiness

glare

²

/ ɡlɛə /

adjective

1. smooth and glassy

   glare ice

Other Word Forms

• glareless adjective
• glary adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of glare¹

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

Origin of glare²

First recorded in 1560–70; special use of glare ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of glare¹

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

Origin of glare²

C16: special use of _glare ¹

Synonym Study

See shine ¹. 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.

Example Sentences

The strange part is that Liverpool didn’t have a glaring need for a striker.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

So in the playoffs, as they attempt to become the first baseball team to successfully defend a championship in a quarter-century, they have found a creative solution to address their most glaring weakness.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But he adds diplomatically, that the unprecedented glare of this year hasn't gone unnoticed.

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But the report on the Eaton and Palisades fires found glaring deficiencies.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

But there’s one big, glaring reason she’s delusional if she really thinks she can secure the Republican nomination.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• frown 
• gape 
• gawk 
• glower 
• scowl 
• stare