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 ).
-
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
-
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:
This offered a glimpse of the potential for AI models to go rogue, as the models were meant to be isolated from the internet.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026
The mixed reaction to what is known about the deal so far is a glimpse of the task ahead for Prime Minister Carney after he campaigned on a tough "elbows-up" approach to dealing with Trump.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
Stacked on top of long-term human-caused climate change, the temporary jolt will offer a glimpse of the heat the world can expect by the late 2030s, experts say.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
That possibility gives researchers a glimpse of how powerful giant crocodylians may have been in shaping ancient tropical communities, rather than simply living alongside other large predators.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 19, 2026
I could only glimpse them from the floor.
From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck
The first few glimpses at the economy in the third quarter appear to show Americans scaling back after splurging in the spring.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
Ms. Southon has worked equally hard to find surviving traces that offer us glimpses into what it was like to be living chattel under Roman rule.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
Heading west from Guerneville, you roll through Monte Rio, seeing more redwoods, cabins and glimpses of river.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
There are no interesting choices, no glimpses of an artist’s vision.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
What was more, ever since arriving in Boston I’d kept catching glimpses of people I thought were him: dark figures dashing by in taxicabs, disappearing into office buildings.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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
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
Viewed from the village below, or glimpsed on the way up the forested hill, the structure looks topographical—a glistening summit just above a tree line.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 6, 2026
Upstairs curtains at the Black Swan twitched open and I think I glimpsed Isaac Pye in a kite of sunshine, giving us all the evil eye.
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
For many people, even glimpsing a hornet's stinger is enough to cause alarm.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 4, 2025
For most of the public, glimpsing this extraordinary mix -- home to the 18-hole Lodhi Course and the nine-hole Peacock Course -- is usually only possible by peering through its entrance gates.
From Barron's ● Oct. 18, 2025
“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
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
After glimpsing them on the flats, I pulled open the brakes to release the cell doors and then waited till they made their way up the end stairs to the gallery.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
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.
