glow
Americannoun
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a light emitted by or as if by a substance heated to luminosity; incandescence.
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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.
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warmth of emotion or passion; ardor.
verb (used without object)
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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
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am glowingprogressive
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are glowingprogressive
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is glowingprogressive
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have been glowingperfect progressive
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has been glowingperfect progressive
Past
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glowedsimple
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had glowedperfect
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was glowingprogressive
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were glowingprogressive
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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
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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.
Beauty, said sales of its Halo Glow Skin Tint foundation cream rose 36% after it lowered the price from $18 to $14.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
Several "disproportionately represented" brands, such as Glow, Drunk Elephant or The Ordinary, market themselves as healthy, supposedly natural alternatives to chemical-laden competitors.
From Barron's • Nov. 28, 2025
The manager of Touch and Glow Car Wash in Whittier instead stays outside, where his workers are, keeping his eyes peeled for approaching vehicles.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 20, 2025
Glow Up: Britain's Next Make-Up Star is on BBC Three at 20:00 on Wednesdays and is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
From BBC • May 8, 2025
Then again, the Glow doesn’t show on Unremarkable pictures and videos.
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
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.
