glimpse
Americannoun
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glimpses
plural
-
a very brief, passing look, sight, or view.
-
a momentary or slight appearance.
-
a vague idea; inkling.
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Archaic. a gleam, as of light.
verb (used with object)
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glimpses,
present (3rd person singular)
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glimpsed,
past participle, past
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glimpsing
present participle
verb (used without object)
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glimpses,
present (3rd person singular)
-
glimpsed,
past participle, past
-
glimpsing
present participle
-
to look briefly; glance (usually followed byat ).
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Archaic. to come into view; appear faintly.
noun
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a brief or incomplete view
to catch a glimpse of the sea
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a vague indication
he had a glimpse of what the lecturer meant
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archaic a glimmer of light
verb
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(tr) to catch sight of briefly or momentarily
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to look (at) briefly or cursorily; glance (at)
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archaic (intr) to shine faintly; glimmer
Usage
Glimpse is sometimes wrongly used where glance is meant: he gave a quick glance (not glimpse ) at his watch
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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glimpsesimple
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glimpsessimple
-
have glimpsedperfect
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has glimpsedperfect
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am glimpsingprogressive
-
are glimpsingprogressive
-
is glimpsingprogressive
-
have been glimpsingperfect progressive
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has been glimpsingperfect progressive
Past
-
glimpsedsimple
-
had glimpsedperfect
-
was glimpsingprogressive
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were glimpsingprogressive
-
had been glimpsingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of glimpse
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English glimsen (verb); cognate with Middle High German glimsen “to glow”; akin to glimmer
Explanation
If you had a brief or incomplete look at something, you had a glimpse. "He didn't mean to peek, but he got a glimpse of his birthday present when his wife tried to sneak it into the house. Of course, it's pretty hard to hide a ladder." You can use glimpse as a noun (like when you "catch a glimpse of someone") or as a verb (like when you "glimpse in someone's direction"). Although the word glimpse is usually used to describe the physical act of sneaking a peek at something, you can also use the noun glimpse to indicate a vague idea or suggestion. Perhaps, you can have a glimpse into your future by observing your parents' actions or by consulting a Tarot card reader.
Vocabulary lists containing glimpse
"Seventh Grade" by Gary Soto
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"The Great Gatsby," Chapter 1 Vocabulary
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List 15
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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.
See Examples For:
While focused on the specifics of one career, “Sitcom” also offers a glimpse into an era of television when multicam network comedies ruled, drawing ratings that are impossible to imagine today.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
The saga offers a glimpse of a Connecticut far removed from the hedge-fund wealth and old-money hamlets for which the “Land of Steady Habits” is often known.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
The sale of Mercury's notebook offered "an extraordinary glimpse into his songwriting, and seeing it fetch the day's highest price was another highlight", Hochman added.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
That reconstruction offers a glimpse into the genetic makeup of one of the earliest flying mammals and creates a new resource for studying how bats developed their exceptional diversity.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026
His eyes sprang open again, and he caught a glimpse of his own stricken expression in his parents’ dresser mirror.
From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Just as Dan glimpses Gretta’s raw potential, she sees his lost purpose, and the two launch a mutual rescue mission.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
He has shown only glimpses of his excellent domestic form, returning a high score of 21.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
“It was among the first glimpses of how this model is operating in practice. But we don’t have a great picture on whether it was resolved or whether it will continue to be an issue.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
Napoleon’s invasion failed, but the experts he sent in—draftsmen, scientists, archaeologists—found tantalizing glimpses of ancient wonders such as the Rosetta Stone and the Luxor obelisk.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
In the pale ray of the wizard’s staff, Frodo caught glimpses of stairs and arches, and of other passages and tunnels, sloping up, or running steeply down, or opening blankly dark on either side.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
In his enthusiasm, he may have glimpsed a sliver of truth long before the rest of us knew how to look for it.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 7, 2026
While Embo didn’t have much screen time, he can be glimpsed among the scum and villainy in a handful of episodes including Season 2 Episode 17, Season 5 Episode 14 and Season 6 Episode 5.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026
Who down there, waiting in the out-the-door Sweetgreen line or descending into the subway, has glimpsed the void in the way I have?
From Slate ● Apr. 23, 2026
The first image shows an 'Earthrise' as the astronauts glimpsed our home planet peaking out beyond a cratered lunar landscape.
From BBC ● Apr. 7, 2026
She heard their laughter and glimpsed their hands, but never saw a face.
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
For many people, even glimpsing a hornet's stinger is enough to cause alarm.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 4, 2025
Disgruntled merchants have blocked off the famous Maradona Square in Naples, preventing tourists and visitors from glimpsing the gigantic mural of the Argentine footballer, in a row over bureaucracy.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2025
Additional spectators watched along the sidelines in hopes of glimpsing the series’ stars.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 19, 2025
Niagara Falls State Park has various vantage points ideal for glimpsing the natural phenomenon, and there will be interpretive staff offering educational programming in conjunction with the event.
From National Geographic ● Jan. 4, 2024
He walked for at least a quarter of an hour before glimpsing the first beds of rushes along the riverbanks.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
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.
