English Meaning & Definitions
To take a brief or hurried look.
- “She glanced at her watch and realized she was ten minutes late for the meeting.”
- “He glanced through the report to get the general idea before the presentation.”
To hit something at an angle and bounce off or fly off to one side.
- “The arrow glanced off the shield and landed harmlessly in the grass.”
- “Sunlight glanced off the windows of the skyscraper, blinding the drivers below.”
A brief or hurried look.
- “At first glance, the problem seemed simple, but it proved to be quite complex.”
- “She stole a quick glance at him to see if he was still angry.”
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “glance”.
Originating in Middle English as 'glancen' or 'glansen', it is likely a variant of 'glacen' (to slip or slide), which comes from the Old French 'glacier' (to slip, slide, or turn to ice), derived from the Latin 'glacies' (ice). The meaning evolved from the physical action of sliding or grazing off a surface to the modern figurative sense of a quick, passing look.
Think of your eyes 'glancing' off a page like a stone 'glancing' off water.
Frequently Asked Questions About “glance”
1. What is the meaning of “glance” in English?
In English, glance (verb) is defined as: “To take a brief or hurried look.”.
2. How do you use “glance” in a sentence?
“She glanced at her watch and realized she was ten minutes late for the meeting.”
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “glance”?
Originating in Middle English as 'glancen' or 'glansen', it is likely a variant of 'glacen' (to slip or slide), which comes from the Old French 'glacier' (to slip, slide, or turn to ice), derived from the Latin 'glacies' (ice). The meaning evolved from the physical action of sliding or grazing off a surface to the modern figurative sense of a quick, passing look.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.