glimpsed; glimpsing
: to get a brief look at
glimpsed him as he sped by in his car
1
: to look briefly
glimpsed at the letter and then threw it aside
2
archaic
: glimmer
glimpser
noun
1
: a fleeting view or look
caught only a glimpse of the mugger
2
archaic
: glimmer
Synonyms
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
Dan Stahl, The New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2023
Over the next few years, the world glimpsed into Peele and Peretti's budding romance through their sweet (and rare) social media posts.
—Emily St. Martin, Peoplemag, 10 Sep. 2023
In one home, traces of its former inhabitants could be glimpsed in the ruins of a second-floor ceiling: velveteen blankets, suitcases, rugs, a sagging mattress.
—Louisa Loveluck, Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2023
Hundreds of wedding crashers showed up at Jack Antonoff and Margaret Qualley’s nuptials over the weekend in hopes of glimpsing one of the couple’s esteemed guests: Taylor Swift.
—Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2023
The depth of the crisis can be glimpsed in supermarket aisles and convenience stories, where shelves are full of pre-packaged meals catering to one, or in the streets full of tiny apartments tailor-made for single life, Raymo added.
—Chris Lau, CNN, 2 Sep. 2023
That all of this stems from a childhood trauma glimpsed in an opening flashback might be clichéd, but Smith and Stanley satisfyingly unravel that particular narrative knot with help from Weil’s moving performance.
—Michael Nordine, Variety, 2 Aug. 2023
People in at least 17 states may have a chance this week to glimpse the northern lights, which are typically seen in Earth’s northernmost regions.
—Vivian La, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2023
To see one's face among the grid of screenshots is to glimpse an underlying continuity between online and off, to envision the self as the bridge spanning this existential chasm—and perhaps extending into eternity.
—Meghan O'Gieblyn, WIRED, 16 Aug. 2023
Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 15 Sep. 2023
Each ceremony provides a small glimpse into people’s private lives, and the wedding-chapel workers have seen the gamut.
—Meg Bernhard, The New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2023
This week, Austin was the place to be for those wanting a glimpse of some of the biggest names in music and professional basketball.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas News, 14 Sep. 2023
The international version will also include a brief glimpse into Coco’s disastrous time in Hollywood.
—K.j. Yossman, Variety, 14 Sep. 2023
The occasional glimpses of R&B and rap royalty (Keyshia Cole, Fat Joe and Ashanti, to name a few)?
—Bethonie Butler, Washington Post, 13 Sep. 2023
Alarcon said, however, that Tuesday was probably the last day to get a glimpse in the morning and that evenings were now the best bet.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2023
State media also aired a documentary showing rare glimpses of Kim in a more relaxed state – sitting in his office on the train in a short-sleeved white shirt, smoking a cigarette while talking to officials, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN, 12 Sep. 2023
It was supposed to be this glimpse of her alone in the hotel room.
—Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 12 Sep. 2023
See More
Verb
But the force of Fritzi’s turnabout comes largely from seeing her being bullied into it throughout the movie; Glenn’s inner diva is glimpsed only once before his breakout moment, so the breakout comes off more like a stunt than like the completion of a character arc.
—Dan Stahl, The New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2023
Over the next few years, the world glimpsed into Peele and Peretti's budding romance through their sweet (and rare) social media posts.
—Emily St. Martin, Peoplemag, 10 Sep. 2023
In one home, traces of its former inhabitants could be glimpsed in the ruins of a second-floor ceiling: velveteen blankets, suitcases, rugs, a sagging mattress.
—Louisa Loveluck, Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2023
Hundreds of wedding crashers showed up at Jack Antonoff and Margaret Qualley’s nuptials over the weekend in hopes of glimpsing one of the couple’s esteemed guests: Taylor Swift.
—Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2023
The depth of the crisis can be glimpsed in supermarket aisles and convenience stories, where shelves are full of pre-packaged meals catering to one, or in the streets full of tiny apartments tailor-made for single life, Raymo added.
—Chris Lau, CNN, 2 Sep. 2023
That all of this stems from a childhood trauma glimpsed in an opening flashback might be clichéd, but Smith and Stanley satisfyingly unravel that particular narrative knot with help from Weil’s moving performance.
—Michael Nordine, Variety, 2 Aug. 2023
People in at least 17 states may have a chance this week to glimpse the northern lights, which are typically seen in Earth’s northernmost regions.
—Vivian La, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2023
To see one's face among the grid of screenshots is to glimpse an underlying continuity between online and off, to envision the self as the bridge spanning this existential chasm—and perhaps extending into eternity.
—Meghan O'Gieblyn, WIRED, 16 Aug. 2023
Noun
Fans can get a glimpse of the renovation process for the Gaines’ new venture when Fixer Upper: The Hotel premieres in November on the Magnolia Network.
—Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 15 Sep. 2023
Each ceremony provides a small glimpse into people’s private lives, and the wedding-chapel workers have seen the gamut.
—Meg Bernhard, The New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2023
This week, Austin was the place to be for those wanting a glimpse of some of the biggest names in music and professional basketball.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas News, 14 Sep. 2023
The international version will also include a brief glimpse into Coco’s disastrous time in Hollywood.
—K.j. Yossman, Variety, 14 Sep. 2023
The occasional glimpses of R&B and rap royalty (Keyshia Cole, Fat Joe and Ashanti, to name a few)?
—Bethonie Butler, Washington Post, 13 Sep. 2023
Alarcon said, however, that Tuesday was probably the last day to get a glimpse in the morning and that evenings were now the best bet.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2023
State media also aired a documentary showing rare glimpses of Kim in a more relaxed state – sitting in his office on the train in a short-sleeved white shirt, smoking a cigarette while talking to officials, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN, 12 Sep. 2023
It was supposed to be this glimpse of her alone in the hotel room.
—Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 12 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'glimpse.' 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 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
Time Traveler
The first known use of glimpse was
in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near glimpse
Cite this Entry
“Glimpse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glimpse. Accessed 25 Sep. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
glimpse
1 of 2 verb
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
More from Merriam-Webster on glimpse
Nglish: Translation of glimpse for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of glimpse for Arabic Speakers
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share