glow
Americannoun
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glows
plural
-
a light emitted by or as if by a substance heated to luminosity; incandescence.
-
brightness of color.
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a sensation or state of bodily heat.
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a warm, ruddy color of the cheeks.
-
warmth of emotion or passion; ardor.
verb (used without object)
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glows,
present (3rd person singular)
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glowed,
past participle, past
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glowing
present participle
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to emit bright light and heat without flame; become incandescent.
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to shine like something intensely heated.
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to exhibit a strong, bright color; be lustrously red or brilliant.
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(of the cheeks) to exhibit a healthy, warm, ruddy color.
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to become or feel very warm or hot.
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to show emotion or elation.
to glow with pride.
noun
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light emitted by a substance or object at a high temperature
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a steady even light without flames
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brilliance or vividness of colour
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brightness or ruddiness of complexion
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a feeling of wellbeing or satisfaction
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intensity of emotion; ardour
verb
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to emit a steady even light without flames
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to shine intensely, as if from great heat
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to be exuberant or high-spirited, as from excellent health or intense emotion
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to experience a feeling of wellbeing or satisfaction
to glow with pride
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(esp of the complexion) to show a strong bright colour, esp a shade of red
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to be very hot
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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glowsimple
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glowssimple
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have glowedperfect
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has glowedperfect
-
am glowingprogressive
-
are glowingprogressive
-
is glowingprogressive
-
have been glowingperfect progressive
-
has been glowingperfect progressive
Past
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glowedsimple
-
had glowedperfect
-
was glowingprogressive
-
were glowingprogressive
-
had been glowingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of glow
First recorded before 1000; Middle English glowen (verb), Old English glōwan; akin to German glühen, Old Norse glōa
Explanation
To glow is to shine with light. On a clear night when the moon is full, it glows in the sky. A nightlight glows in a dark room, and a distant flashlight beam glows like a candle. Other things that glow include fireflies, TV screens, and city lights when seen from an airplane at night. A person's face can also be said to glow, when it's shining and flushed with health or happiness. The radiance of light or pleasure itself can also be called a glow, from the Old English glowan, "to shine as if red-hot."
Vocabulary lists containing glow
All Aglow: Light Lingo
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 5
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This Week In Words: Current Events Vocab for March 6–12, 2021
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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:
Paddy fields glow against red earth and low, forested hills.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
The company’s stock is still basking in the glow of its “exceptionally strong” June-quarter earnings report, which reinforced investors’ confidence that its AI investments are generating returns, Lee added.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
The technology and future demand are real, but the AI boom’s glow can still cause burns.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
The glow of her computer occasionally caught her sharp cheekbones and bounced off her chin, highlighting the thin tattooed line that bisects it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Under the glow of the streetlamps—real flame, Christopher saw, that burned steadily, without flickering—the Neverfear waited.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
Launched in the clubbing capital of Ibiza, it's targeted toward clubbers and festival-goers, and one of its ingredients, vitamin B2, is naturally luminescent and glows under UV club lights.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
On my final morning Puistokahvila Makia glows gold against a blue commute.
From Salon ● Mar. 8, 2026
Dana relays that if there’s a part of Ilana’s skin that glows, she’ll swab it with a wet, then dry, cotton swab.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2026
What remains can now only be detected in mid-infrared light, where it glows at roughly one-tenth of its original intensity.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 14, 2026
My skin glows golden brown, and hers is chalk-white.
From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
September's full Moon glowed across the UK sky on Saturday and many people seemed to have perfect conditions for viewing it.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
The night sky glowed orange and smoke billowed from the Dormition Cathedral in the Monastery of the Caves, also known as the Pechersk Lavra monastery complex.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
Like the store’s sign, the sky glowed Big Orange, hex code #F96302, or Pantone 165 C, available in the paint department inside.
From Slate ● Jan. 27, 2026
The dining room glowed like a film set, its gently arched brick and brass softening Barcelona’s usual edge.
From Salon ● Dec. 6, 2025
Candles glowed above the altar, the cross with the effigy of the dying Christ above that.
From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron
The Orionids are particularly fast, entering the atmosphere at around 41 miles per second and can leave glowing trails which remain visible for several seconds.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
I asked Muse to Terminator-ify its fuzzy blob mascot, and it adopted metal accents and a glowing red cyborg eye.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Of course the playwright has prepared the way, but the wayward emotions emanating from these inwardly glowing performances are refreshing in work that has the crisp, circumscribed elegance of a mathematical proof.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
“She was absolutely glowing and floating around the room,” another guest said of Swift.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 7, 2026
I am inside a glowing tunnel, otherworldly and beautiful.
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
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.
