glimpse
Americannoun
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a very brief, passing look, sight, or view.
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a momentary or slight appearance.
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a vague idea; inkling.
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Archaic. a gleam, as of light.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
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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
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are glimpsingprogressive
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is glimpsingprogressive
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have been glimpsingperfect progressive
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has been glimpsingperfect progressive
Past
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glimpsedsimple
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had glimpsedperfect
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was glimpsingprogressive
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were glimpsingprogressive
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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:
His performance Wednesday was another glimpse of that upside.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
Chelsea not only lost to Manchester City in the 2020 FA Youth Cup final, they also had a glimpse of their own future within the opposition ranks.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Others, like the Palmers and Ferrante, ask for something far simpler: a glimpse of what could have been.
From Slate ● Jul. 19, 2026
Joining a mail-boat run offers a glimpse at life in the remote community.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Often I would catch a glimpse inside when I handed in a tray or Tante Anna passed one out.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
In recent weeks, Smith has shared heartwrenching glimpses into the family’s battle, including photos of Whimsy’s curls being shaved and her bald head bedazzled with gems.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026
For a documentarian who specializes in personal movies, “Remake” feels especially revealing — both in terms of the glimpses we get of this father-son relationship and of unsolved mysteries that linger just outside the frame.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2026
There were, however, glimpses of the player that dominated the WTA Tour for over two decades.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
While she showed glimpses of her former self alongside Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko at Queen's and Karolina Muchova in Berlin, questions remained over how Williams would fare physically on her return to singles.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
He caught glimpses of movement in the shadows.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
Yet “Born to Kill” thrums with the pent-up energy of a guy who glimpsed the possibility that he might not sing again.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 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
In that seemingly mundane act, he glimpsed evidence of the turnaround for New York City’s shoplifting epidemic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 22, 2026
There was a third man in this drama, little known to almost everyone, who was at the event, glimpsed in a brief shot in the official highlights video – David Stern.
From BBC ● Feb. 28, 2026
I glimpsed the back of Mom—she had her bathrobe on, her hair caught up in a big clip—and heard the clink of dishes in the sink.
From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings
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
Flashbacks mix in bits and pieces of documentary footage, glimpsing a few highlights of her life.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 14, 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
From what I’d been able to figure out, I had to touch someone for my abilities to take hold, and even then...it was more like I was glimpsing their thoughts, rather than screwing with them.
From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken
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.
