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

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

Only during a total solar eclipse can the corona be glimpsed from Earth’s surface, and even then, only for a few minutes from any one location. —Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025

Read More: How Insecurity Became the New Inequality The widespread embrace of these ideas can be glimpsed in the publication of Cato’s Letters in the Boston Independent Advertiser in 1748. —Time, 7 July 2025

Noun

For many, stepping off that plane was their first glimpse into a different kind of reality for themselves as Africans. —Sindiswa Mabunda, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025

For a glimpse into Everglades City’s storied past, book a room at the The Rod & Gun Club a historic private club that’s now open the public as a hotel and resort. —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 27 July 2025

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