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 of glimpse

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

On the sixth day of the mission, the astronauts embarked on a seven-hour flyby, seeing features on the moon that had never been glimpsed by human eyes. —Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 11 Apr. 2026

Meanwhile, a smiling Fanning, 28, is glimpsed with a colorful scarf and updo complete with butterfly jewelry, continuing the cinematic tradition of Panem’s eye-popping fashion. —Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 11 Apr. 2026

Noun

China is expected to release its import-export data for March later on Tuesday, which would offer a glimpse into how the economy has fared under the shadow of the war. —Anniek Bao, CNBC, 14 Apr. 2026

The Following actor and The Closer star regularly share dancing videos on their personal TikTok pages, along with glimpses into their family life. —Ilana Kaplan, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026

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