glance

1 of 2

verb

glanced; glancing

intransitive verb

1
a
: to take a quick look at something
glanced at his watch
b
of the eyes : to move swiftly from one thing to another
2
: to strike a surface obliquely so as to go off at an angle
The bullet glanced off the wall.
3
a
: to make sudden quick movements
dragonflies glancing over the pond
b
: to flash or gleam with quick intermittent rays of light
brooks glancing in the sun
4
: to touch on a subject or refer to it briefly or indirectly
The work glances at the customs of ancient cultures.

transitive verb

1
: to give an oblique path of direction to:
a
: to throw or shoot so that the object deflects from a surface
b
archaic : to aim (something, such as an innuendo) indirectly : insinuate
2
archaic
a
: to take a quick look at
b
: to catch a glimpse of
glancer noun

glance

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: a quick or cursory look
was good at sizing people up at a glance
b
: a swift movement of the eyes
2
a
: a deflected impact or blow
b
archaic : a rapid oblique movement
3
a
: a quick intermittent flash or gleam
b
archaic : a sudden quick movement
4
archaic
a
: a brief satirical reference to something : gibe
b
Phrases
at first glance
: on first consideration
At first glance the subject seems harmless enough.

Examples of glance in a Sentence

Verb Glancing down, she noticed her shoe was untied. I glanced at my watch. He sat quietly, glancing through a magazine. She glanced up from her book when he entered the room. Noun He gave me a quick glance over his shoulder. I took a glance at the newspaper this morning.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Everyone is suddenly jumping, phones are swaying in the air, and fellow brats are glancing at their friends, unable to believe their luck. Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Oct. 2024 Instead of a possible double-play, Freeman’s throw glanced off Machado’s helmet and ricocheted into center field. Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2024
Noun
Marketers are tasked with ensuring every attendee feels personally engaged, a feat that at first glance seems to be impossible at this scale. Nohar Zmora, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024 At first glance, there's something surreal about bringing in a fashion designer on what is essentially an engineering project. David Szondy, New Atlas, 20 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for glance 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'glance.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English glencen, glenchen

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 2

Noun

1503, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Time Traveler
The first known use of glance was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near glance

Cite this Entry

“Glance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glance. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

glance

1 of 2 verb
glanced; glancing
1
: to strike and fly off at an angle
the arrow glanced off the shield
2
: to give a quick or hasty look
glanced at my watch
glanced up from a book
3
glancingly
ˈglan(t)-siŋ-lē
adverb

glance

2 of 2 noun
1
: a quick flash or gleam that comes and goes
2
: an impact or blow that is turned aside
3
a
: a swift movement of the eyes
b
: a quick or hasty look

More from Merriam-Webster on glance

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