glare

1 of 2

verb

glared; glaring

intransitive verb

1
a
: to shine with a harsh uncomfortably brilliant light
2
: to stare angrily or fiercely
glared at me with rage and hate

transitive verb

1
: to express (something, such as hostility) by staring angrily
glared defiance at each other
2
archaic : to cause to be sharply reflected

glare

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: a harsh uncomfortably bright light
the glare of a neon sign
the glare of publicity
especially : painfully bright sunlight
b
: cheap showy brilliance : garishness
enjoyed the glitter and glare of the city's nightlife
2
: an angry or fierce stare
3
: a surface or sheet of smooth and slippery ice

Examples of glare in a Sentence

Verb The sun glared down relentlessly. The white snow glared in the morning sunlight. The teacher glared at him as he walked in late. Noun There was a glare coming off the water. I was blinded by the glare of the approaching headlights. I shielded my eyes from the glare of the sun. The car's headlights are designed to cut down on glare. She responded to the reporters' questions with an angry glare.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
The article dove deep into the glaring uptick in numbers of single Black women. Essence, 18 Aug. 2025 There are the clever visual gags allowed by animation, like characters who quite literally shoot daggers at one another while locked in a glaring match; there are many jokes at the imperious, overconfident Marioneta’s expense. Alison Herman, Variety, 17 Aug. 2025
Noun
Part of the difficulty in determining just how many moons orbit Uranus is the proximity of these natural satellites to the planet and the bright glare of the planet itself, said Scott Sheppard, astronomer at the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, DC. Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2025 Since launching her career a decade ago, the youngest Cyrus sibling has been carving her own path while facing addiction and mental health struggles in the glare of a spotlight focused on her famous family. Jeff Nelson, People.com, 21 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for glare

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English glaren; akin to Old English glæs glass

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of glare was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Glare.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glare. Accessed 26 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

glare

verb
ˈgla(ə)r,
ˈgle(ə)r
glared; glaring
1
a
: to shine with a harsh uncomfortably brilliant light
b
: to stand out annoyingly
2
: to stare angrily or fiercely
glare noun
glary
ˈgla(ə)r-ē
ˈgle(ə)r-
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on glare

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