glimpse
Americannoun
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a very brief, passing look, sight, or view.
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a momentary or slight appearance.
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a vague idea; inkling.
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Archaic. a gleam, as of light.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
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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
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have glimpsedperfect
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has glimpsedperfect
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am glimpsingprogressive
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are glimpsingprogressive
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is glimpsingprogressive
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have been glimpsingperfect progressive
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has been glimpsingperfect progressive
Past
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glimpsedsimple
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had glimpsedperfect
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was glimpsingprogressive
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were glimpsingprogressive
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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:
Galloway says he got a glimpse of that resistance this spring when Chapman University hosted a symposium examining AI’s impact on entertainment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
The discovery, published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, offers an unprecedented glimpse into one of the earliest chapters of cosmic history.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026
Some followers descended on New York in hopes of catching a glimpse of their idol, with the star-studded event that some commentators dubbed a "royal wedding."
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
It also offers a glimpse of the hurdles Chinese EV makers face in winning over Europe.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
Beyond, I caught a glimpse of blue water, the sea.
From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell
Throughout the World Cup we have seen these in glimpses, but Tuchel is unsatisfied.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
There were, however, glimpses of the player that dominated the WTA Tour for over two decades.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
A handful of videos the Journal reviewed also contained short glimpses of URLs indicating the sites were test environments for Polymarket engineers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026
The 360-degree curved glass walls encasing the galleries offered many glimpses of a face that belonged to me but somehow wasn’t mine.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
Night-balloons illuminated the glass ceiling now absent of its constellations and revealed glimpses of a starless sky.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
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
Yet “Born to Kill” thrums with the pent-up energy of a guy who glimpsed the possibility that he might not sing again.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 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
"Jasper," a man with severe constipation who passes away in the sweltering waiting room, first appears in the season’s opening episode, and can later be glimpsed shedding layers of clothing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026
Luckily, I’d glimpsed a space between two of them before darkness descended, and I groped my way to it while Yao seemed to fall into instant slumber.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
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
Disney executives wanted to make sure the company’s fee dispute did not turn into an impediment to viewers glimpsing history being made.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2024
“To hear Mitchell hit certain notes again in that inimitable voice was like glimpsing, in the wild, a magnificent bird long feared to have gone extinct.”
From New York Times ● Jan. 29, 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.
