glided; gliding
1
: to move smoothly, continuously, and effortlessly
swans gliding over the lake
2
: to go or pass imperceptibly
hours glided by
3
a
of an airplane
: to descend gradually in controlled flight
b
: to fly in a glider
4
: to produce a glide (as in music or speech)
: to cause to glide
1
: a calm stretch of shallow water flowing smoothly
2
: the act or action of gliding
3
4
5
: a device for facilitating movement of something
especially
: a circular usually metal button attached to the bottom of furniture legs to provide a smooth surface
Synonyms
Examples of glide in a Sentence
Verb
The swans glided over the surface of the lake.
We watched the skiers glide down the slope.
The pilot glided to a safe landing after the engine failed.
The pilot glided the plane to a safe landing.
Recent Examples on the Web
Annie Blackman, Allure, 28 Nov. 2023
And what better way to glide into the holidays than with a big, comfy sweater that’s embracing you like a warm hug?
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 28 Nov. 2023
Within three minutes of gliding this magic little wand across my forehead, chin, and cheeks, my skin looks instantly more taut and glowy.
—Alex Nelson, Peoplemag, 24 Nov. 2023
Other vacuums just glide over the surface with their mops or use a combination of a glide with some ultrasonic element; iRobot's implementation seems to be the most effective if mopping is a priority for your home.
—Chuong Nguyen, Ars Technica, 23 Nov. 2023
Below me, the vines spilled toward the Ligurian Sea, the town of Corniglia clung to the cliff, and boats glided in the bay.
—Julia Buckley, Travel + Leisure, 18 Nov. 2023
Just as the creators on TikTok demonstrated, the brush glided through every coil.
—India Espy-Jones, Essence, 17 Nov. 2023
The scientists learned that the costs of gliding for condors were extremely low, barely twice the caloric expense of resting on the ground.
—Natalie Angier, New York Times, 12 Nov. 2023
With just two contact points, Chen sees the Shane more easily gliding across a road’s surface.
—IEEE Spectrum, 1 Nov. 2023
Chuong Nguyen, Ars Technica, 23 Nov. 2023
This luxurious and lightweight cream glides smoothly over skin without leaving any sticky residue.
—Sophie Dodd, Peoplemag, 6 Nov. 2023
The Antarctic Endeavour glides across the water’s silky surface as dozens of fin whales spray rainbows from their blowholes into a fairy tale icescape of massive glaciers.
—Joshua Goodman, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2023
There are deep concerns within the military about China and Russia’s hypersonic glide weapons, which may be able to avoid defense systems through bursts of speed and pretzeled flight paths.
—Jon Gertner, New York Times, 8 Nov. 2023
Along with the addition of fresh pokémon and a new Elite Four, Nintendo’s also teased a handful of gameplay features coming with The Indigo Disk like upgrades to your legendary riding monsters that seemingly allow them to full-on fly (rather than just glide) that look quite promising.
—Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 2 Nov. 2023
Even as the complications begin to multiply, the narrative rhythms slow to a pleasurable glide, recalibrated in part by the sounds of rushing water and the pull of the outdoor scenery.
—Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2023
Kannan wouldn’t say how popular glide typing is for Gboard.
—Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2023
On Target Our Ratings Ease of Use 5/5 Effectiveness
5/5
Feel
5/5
Value
5/5
Pros
This anti-chafe stick is fragrance-free and glides on like deodorant.
—Barbara Bellesi Zito, Peoplemag, 16 Oct. 2023
See More
Verb
Just glide the stick wherever your skin needs some extra sheen.
—Annie Blackman, Allure, 28 Nov. 2023
And what better way to glide into the holidays than with a big, comfy sweater that’s embracing you like a warm hug?
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 28 Nov. 2023
Within three minutes of gliding this magic little wand across my forehead, chin, and cheeks, my skin looks instantly more taut and glowy.
—Alex Nelson, Peoplemag, 24 Nov. 2023
Other vacuums just glide over the surface with their mops or use a combination of a glide with some ultrasonic element; iRobot's implementation seems to be the most effective if mopping is a priority for your home.
—Chuong Nguyen, Ars Technica, 23 Nov. 2023
Below me, the vines spilled toward the Ligurian Sea, the town of Corniglia clung to the cliff, and boats glided in the bay.
—Julia Buckley, Travel + Leisure, 18 Nov. 2023
Just as the creators on TikTok demonstrated, the brush glided through every coil.
—India Espy-Jones, Essence, 17 Nov. 2023
The scientists learned that the costs of gliding for condors were extremely low, barely twice the caloric expense of resting on the ground.
—Natalie Angier, New York Times, 12 Nov. 2023
With just two contact points, Chen sees the Shane more easily gliding across a road’s surface.
—IEEE Spectrum, 1 Nov. 2023
Noun
Other vacuums just glide over the surface with their mops or use a combination of a glide with some ultrasonic element; iRobot's implementation seems to be the most effective if mopping is a priority for your home.
—Chuong Nguyen, Ars Technica, 23 Nov. 2023
This luxurious and lightweight cream glides smoothly over skin without leaving any sticky residue.
—Sophie Dodd, Peoplemag, 6 Nov. 2023
The Antarctic Endeavour glides across the water’s silky surface as dozens of fin whales spray rainbows from their blowholes into a fairy tale icescape of massive glaciers.
—Joshua Goodman, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2023
There are deep concerns within the military about China and Russia’s hypersonic glide weapons, which may be able to avoid defense systems through bursts of speed and pretzeled flight paths.
—Jon Gertner, New York Times, 8 Nov. 2023
Along with the addition of fresh pokémon and a new Elite Four, Nintendo’s also teased a handful of gameplay features coming with The Indigo Disk like upgrades to your legendary riding monsters that seemingly allow them to full-on fly (rather than just glide) that look quite promising.
—Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 2 Nov. 2023
Even as the complications begin to multiply, the narrative rhythms slow to a pleasurable glide, recalibrated in part by the sounds of rushing water and the pull of the outdoor scenery.
—Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2023
Kannan wouldn’t say how popular glide typing is for Gboard.
—Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2023
On Target Our Ratings Ease of Use 5/5 Effectiveness
5/5
Feel
5/5
Value
5/5
Pros
This anti-chafe stick is fragrance-free and glides on like deodorant.
—Barbara Bellesi Zito, Peoplemag, 16 Oct. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'glide.' 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
Middle English, from Old English glīdan; akin to Old High German glītan to glide
First Known Use
Verb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1
Noun
1584, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of glide was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing glide
Dictionary Entries Near glide
Cite this Entry
“Glide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glide. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
glide
verbˈglīd
glided; gliding
1
: to move smoothly, silently, and effortlessly
2
: to descend gradually without enough engine power for level flight
glide in an airplane
glide
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on glide
Nglish: Translation of glide for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of glide for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about glide
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