glitch

noun

1
a
: a usually minor malfunction
a glitch in a spacecraft's fuel cell
b
: a minor problem that causes a temporary setback : snag
2
: a false or spurious electronic signal
glitchy
ˈgli-chē
adjective

Did you know?

There's a glitch in the etymology of glitch—it may come from the Yiddish glitsh, meaning "slippery place," but that's not certain. Print use of glitch referring to a brief unexpected surge of electrical current dates to the mid-20th century. Astronaut John Glenn, in his 1962 book Into Orbit, felt the need to explain the term to his readers: "Literally, a glitch is a spike or change in voltage in an electrical circuit which takes place when the circuit suddenly has a new load put on it." Today, the word can be used of any minor malfunction or snag. If you’re a gamer you might even take advantage of a glitch that causes something unexpected, and sometimes beneficial, to happen in the game.

Examples of glitch in a Sentence

Glitches in the speaker's schedule caused some delays. A technical glitch caused a temporary shutdown.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This was not a minor glitch but a direct hit to the digital backbone of the food supply chain. Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025 Officials say a glitch was to blame in this case, but also point out that utilizing social media to distribute mass alerts is the best way to ensure the information gets out without crashing their websites. Maddie Carr, Kansas City Star, 17 June 2025 Because of a weird glitch between the brain and the body, nearly one-third of people will experience sleep paralysis — making some see demons and witches. Daniel Wine, CNN Money, 9 June 2025 That game became better known for its bugs and glitches than anything happening in the world itself. Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 3 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for glitch

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from Yiddish glitsh slippery place, from glitshn (zikh) to slide, glide; akin to Old High German glītan to glide — more at glide

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of glitch was in 1958

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Cite this Entry

“Glitch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glitch. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

glitch

noun
: an unexpected usually minor problem
glitches in a new computer program

More from Merriam-Webster on glitch

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