glimpse
Americannoun
-
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 ).
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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
-
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:
“Her fans came out in droves every day, from morning until night, just to get a glimpse of her or an autograph.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026
The discoveries could also be an early glimpse of a much larger population.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026
Revisit his favorite spots — and get a glimpse into his magical world.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
A trailer released on social media gives viewers their first glimpse of the show, as well as a snippet of Zeta-Jones using her Swansea accent.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
I sneaked a glimpse, thinking they might be instructions for our new assignment, but the rows and columns didn’t make any sense to me.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
Tourists fill the arrivals lounge at the airport each day, then head to the pristine beaches, or to catch glimpses of sloths in the rainforest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
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
Heading west from Guerneville, you roll through Monte Rio, seeing more redwoods, cabins and glimpses of river.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Archaeologist James Brown said the outlines were "intriguing glimpses into the oldest history of buildings known" at Mottisfont.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
Jesper said as they raced over the roof, catching glimpses of the elegant courtyards below, each built around a burbling fountain and dotted with rustling ice willows.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
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
But the character who interested me most was Bonnie, whose reality is only glimpsed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 21, 2026
In this photograph, the contraption’s legs can be glimpsed jutting out from behind Lincoln’s knees; it had been placed on a black box to extend its reach.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 13, 2026
As I jumped up, I glimpsed the somber tombstones all around me.
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
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
With the probable exception of glimpsing Earthrise out the window of Apollo 8, a total solar eclipse may be the best show in the universe accessible to human eyes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 6, 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
I turned, glimpsing her white face in the dim light of the darkened doorway.
From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison
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.
