glare

1 of 2

verb

ˈgler 

glared; glaring

intransitive verb

1

a

: to shine with a harsh uncomfortably brilliant light

b

: stand out, obtrude

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

Synonyms of glare

Verb

• glow
• gleam
• burn
• flash
• flare
• flame

Noun

• glow
• light
• gleam
• glint
• illumination

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

Verb

If the issues being talked about weren’t so serious, declaring that machines are now smarter than humans, given this glaring gap between AI agents and their principals, would be a fun keynote for the next AI summit. — Bhaskar Chakravorti, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2026

The glaring takeaway from this week's AP Poll is just how well represented the SEC is. — Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026

Noun

Maybe, just maybe, the spotlight's glare was about to shift toward the conference's other celebrity coach, Dabo Swinney of Clemson, whose future is a growing topic of speculation. — ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026

As Nazareth’s pep band rang in the victory, parents offered the Celtics words of comfort, pausing only to cast glares in the direction of administrators. — Lila Hempel-Edgers, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026

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

Phrases Containing glare

• anti-glare

Rhymes for glare

• air
• ayre
• bahr
• bare
• blare
• care
• chair
• claire
• ere
• err
• eyre
• fair

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