glimpse

1 of 2

verb

ˈglim(p)s 

glimpsed; glimpsing

transitive verb

: to get a brief look at

glimpsed him as he sped by in his car

intransitive verb

1

: to look briefly

glimpsed at the letter and then threw it aside

2

archaic : glimmer

glimpser noun

glimpse

2 of 2

noun

1

: a fleeting view or look

caught only a glimpse of the mugger

2

archaic : glimmer

Synonyms of glimpse

Verb

• peek
• glance

Noun

• glance
• peek
• look

Examples of glimpse in a Sentence

Verb

We glimpsed him through the window as his car sped past.

just glimpsed at the photo then turned his attention elsewhere

Noun

We caught a glimpse of him through the window as his car sped past.

I only got a glimpse of him as we drove by.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

With Airbnb bungalows renting for several times normal rates, locals test-drive hosting the world — and glimpse what Olympic crowds could bring next. —Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026

To realize the dream of glimpsing early galaxies, JWST is optimized for infrared, so its vision extends well beyond even that of the Hubble Space Telescope. —Phil Plait, Scientific American, 19 June 2026

Noun

There was also a revealing glimpse of where the Georgia GOP is headed. —Adam Beam, AJC.com, 22 June 2026

Beyoncé Knowles-Carter gave fans a glimpse into her husband Jay-Z's hair transformation while sharing behind-the-scenes family moments in a new video. —Caché McClay, USA Today, 22 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English glimsen; akin to Middle High German glimsen to glimmer, Old English glǣm gleam

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 2

Noun

circa 1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for glimpse

• chimps
• limps
• pimps
• shrimps

Kids Definition

glimpse

1 of 2 verb

ˈglim(p)s 

glimpsed; glimpsing

: to take a brief look : see momentarily or incompletely

glimpsed the deer running

glimpser noun

glimpse

2 of 2 noun

: a short hurried view

catch a glimpse of something rushing by