glimpse
Americannoun
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a very brief, passing look, sight, or view.
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a momentary or slight appearance.
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a vague idea; inkling.
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Archaic. a gleam, as of light.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
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to look briefly; glance (usually followed byat ).
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Archaic. to come into view; appear faintly.
noun
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a brief or incomplete view
to catch a glimpse of the sea
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a vague indication
he had a glimpse of what the lecturer meant
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archaic a glimmer of light
verb
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(tr) to catch sight of briefly or momentarily
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to look (at) briefly or cursorily; glance (at)
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archaic (intr) to shine faintly; glimmer
Usage
Glimpse is sometimes wrongly used where glance is meant: he gave a quick glance (not glimpse ) at his watch
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have glimpsedperfect
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has glimpsedperfect 3rd person singular
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have been glimpsingperfect progressive
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is glimpsingprogressive 3rd person singular
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am glimpsingprogressive 1st person singular
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are glimpsingprogressive
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has been glimpsingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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glimpsessingular 3rd person
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glimpsingparticiple
Past
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had glimpsedperfect
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had been glimpsingperfect progressive
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were glimpsingprogressive plural
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was glimpsingprogressive singular
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glimpsedsimple
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glimpsedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of glimpse
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English glimsen (verb); cognate with Middle High German glimsen “to glow”; akin to glimmer
Explanation
If you had a brief or incomplete look at something, you had a glimpse. "He didn't mean to peek, but he got a glimpse of his birthday present when his wife tried to sneak it into the house. Of course, it's pretty hard to hide a ladder." You can use glimpse as a noun (like when you "catch a glimpse of someone") or as a verb (like when you "glimpse in someone's direction"). Although the word glimpse is usually used to describe the physical act of sneaking a peek at something, you can also use the noun glimpse to indicate a vague idea or suggestion. Perhaps, you can have a glimpse into your future by observing your parents' actions or by consulting a Tarot card reader.
Vocabulary lists containing glimpse
"Seventh Grade" by Gary Soto
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"The Great Gatsby," Chapter 1 Vocabulary
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List 15
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
On Wednesday, the “Vanished” star also shared a glimpse into her family’s life on her Instagram story.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026
He said: "These things are toxic, extremely toxic, in extremely small concentrations... and it's only now we're starting to glimpse the full scale of contamination."
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
There, I got a glimpse at the many individuals, and vendors, eager for Grutman to connect them with his world.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026
"This study is more than just an experiment, it's a glimpse into a future where fire isn't a force of destruction, but a tool to protect our oceans and planet," Oran said.
From Science Daily • Jun. 5, 2026
He could just glimpse, at the far end, a row of six men and six women, some cloaked, some bare-headed, one with a tattooed line down her chin, sitting on twelve vast chairs.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
