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 ).
-
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
-
archaic a glimmer of light
verb
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(tr) to catch sight of briefly or momentarily
-
to look (at) briefly or cursorily; glance (at)
-
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
-
have glimpsedperfect
-
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
-
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:
All of Farrell's back three trio have struggled with injuries in the past year, and Friday's win was a glimpse of Ireland's attacking potential if they can stay fit and in form.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
More ways to get a glimpse are on the way.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
Asteroid particles offer a glimpse into the chemical ingredients that may have helped kindle life on Earth.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2026
Trucks hauling 90 tons of coal across China’s largest open-pit coal mine provide a glimpse into the future of autonomous electric trucking.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
I catch a glimpse of the first page—it’s printed-out text, which has been highlighted here and there.
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
Just as Dan glimpses Gretta’s raw potential, she sees his lost purpose, and the two launch a mutual rescue mission.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
He has shown only glimpses of his excellent domestic form, returning a high score of 21.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
The upcoming events promise glimpses into a few of Tesla’s most ambitious products.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026
Detailed glimpses inside the operations of private Chinese hacking operations are rare.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
The worst nightmares seemed like glimpses of the future.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
Eyewitnesses who glimpsed Shaw in the final minutes before the attack described him as “bent on accomplishing or dying.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
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
Once he glimpsed a moving shadow near an alleyway and sped faster, telling himself forcefully that it was a cat.
From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
For many people, even glimpsing a hornet's stinger is enough to cause alarm.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 4, 2025
For most of the public, glimpsing this extraordinary mix -- home to the 18-hole Lodhi Course and the nine-hole Peacock Course -- is usually only possible by peering through its entrance gates.
From Barron's ● Oct. 18, 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
“You’re just glimpsing the edges of the problem.”
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
