glitch
Americannoun
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glitches
plural
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a defect or malfunction in a machine or plan.
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Computers. any error, malfunction, or problem.
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a brief or sudden interruption or surge in voltage in an electric circuit.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a sudden instance of malfunctioning or irregularity in an electronic system
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a change in the rotation rate of a pulsar
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of glitch
First recorded in 1960–65; perhaps from Yiddish glitsh “slippery area”; compare glitshn, German glitschen “to slip, slide”
Explanation
A glitch is a problem or malfunction, usually a temporary one, in a system or machine. Your science fair team might experience a major glitch in your plans if you lose your data tables as the result of a computer glitch. Glitch is a pretty new word, introduced in the 1960s when the science and technology of space flight was being developed. It originally meant a sudden surge of electrical current that caused a disturbance or malfunction. The word can also be used more broadly to describe any unexpected difficultly, like the glitch in your travel plans that resulted from airport delays.
Vocabulary lists containing glitch
English Words Derived from Yiddish
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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:
Boeing’s jet deliveries are rising, but high oil prices, defense-sector concerns, a 737 MAX glitch, and pending regulatory approvals are weighing on its stock.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
A glitch in the Defra computer system left him locked out of the website for hours.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
The glitch was found in a cockpit software update to the plane model and can cause an automated navigation feature to fail when planes shift their approach to landing.
From Barron's ● Oct. 3, 2026
The glitch emerged from a cockpit software update and, in a certain scenario, mean pilots may have to fly manually without some autopilot functions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
Maybe Roz really was defective, and some glitch in her programming had caused her to accidentally become a wild robot.
From "The Wild Robot" by Peter Brown
A Wall Street Journal investigation found repeated compliance failures, fraud attacks and software glitches inside Polymarket, the highflying prediction market company.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
DoorDash also cited technical glitches and multi-stop delivery routes for causing the firm to underpay workers or delay wages.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
Driverless Teslas began serving customers in Texas in 2025, though several glitches were reported.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
A simple Google search of this management software continues to show on-going issues due to outages, ransomware breaches, cyberattacks and tech glitches that caused global classes and exams to need rescheduling.
From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026
As they do, one of them suddenly glitches out of sight.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
