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Meaning & use

glance

verb, noun·Everyday

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UK/ɡlɑːns/
US/ɡlæns/

Meanings

  1. verbintransitive

    To look at someone or something quickly and briefly.

    Grammar: No object; often followed by at, around, or up: She glanced at her watch.

    Patterns

    • glance at someone/something
    • glance around
    • glance up/down

    He glanced at his phone during the meeting.

    She glanced around the room to see who was there.

    I only glanced at the headline, so I don't know the details.

  2. verbintransitive

    To hit something lightly and move off at an angle.

    Grammar: No object; often followed by off: The ball glanced off the post.

    Patterns

    • glance off something

    The stone glanced off the windshield and landed on the road.

    The ball glanced off the player's shoulder and went out of play.

  3. nouncountable

    A quick, brief look at someone or something.

    Grammar: Countable; often used in phrases like at first glance or a quick glance.

    Patterns

    • a glance at someone/something
    • at first glance
    • a quick/brief glance

    She gave him a quick glance and smiled.

    At first glance, the problem seemed easy.

    He took a glance at the menu and ordered the soup.

Word forms

third person singularglances
past tenseglanced
past participleglanced
-ing formglancing
pluralglances

Common combinations

glance at
She glanced at the clock and realized she was late.
glance around
He glanced around the room, looking for an empty seat.
at first glance
At first glance, the two paintings look identical.
a quick glance
A quick glance at the map showed they were going the wrong way.
glance up
She glanced up from her book when I walked in.

Synonyms and how they differ

peek
To peek is to look quickly and often secretly, especially when you should not be looking.
glimpse
As a verb, glimpse means to see something for a moment, often by chance, rather than to direct your eyes at it.
look
Look is the general word; glance suggests a much shorter, more hurried look.

Opposites

staregaze

Word family

glancing adjective
Hitting at an angle; a glancing blow.

Commonly confused: glance or glimpse?

glance vs glimpse

A glimpse is a brief view of something, often when you are not trying to look, while a glance is a quick, deliberate look.

Practice

She quickly ______ at her watch and hurried out the door.

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