Meaning & use
glimpse
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A very brief look at someone or something, so that only part of it is seen.
Grammar: Often followed by of: a glimpse of the sea.
Patterns
- a glimpse of something
- catch a glimpse of something
She caught a glimpse of the singer as the car drove away.
We got our first glimpse of the mountains from the train.
The window gave him a quick glimpse of the garden.
nouncountablefigurative
A short experience that gives a hint of what something is like.
Grammar: Often used with into: a glimpse into the past.
Patterns
- a glimpse into something
- a glimpse of something
The museum offers a glimpse into daily life in the 1800s.
His diary gave her a glimpse of his hidden fears.
The first chapter offers a glimpse of what is to come.
verbtransitive
To see someone or something for only a moment.
Grammar: Takes an object: glimpse a face in the crowd.
Patterns
- glimpse someone
- glimpse something
He glimpsed a fox between the trees.
Through the fog, she glimpsed the lights of the harbor.
I only glimpsed the driver for a second.
verbtransitiveliteraryfigurative
To understand something briefly or partly.
Grammar: Literary; the object is usually an idea or truth.
Patterns
- glimpse the truth
For a moment she glimpsed what he had been trying to say.
The young scientist glimpsed the answer in a dream.
He glimpsed the scale of the problem for the first time.
Word forms
| plural | glimpses |
|---|---|
| third person singular | glimpses |
| past tense | glimpsed |
| past participle | glimpsed |
| -ing form | glimpsing |
Common combinations
- catch a glimpse of
- I caught a glimpse of her at the station.
- get a glimpse of
- Fans waited to get a glimpse of the actor.
- a brief glimpse
- A brief glimpse was enough to recognize him.
- a glimpse into
- The documentary offers a glimpse into prison life.
- glimpse a figure
- She glimpsed a figure by the gate.
- a fleeting glimpse
- We had only a fleeting glimpse of the comet.
Synonyms and how they differ
- glance
- A glance is a quick look you give on purpose, while a glimpse is a brief sight you may get by chance.
- peek
- Peek is a quick, often secret look, usually at something hidden.
- sight
- Sight is simply seeing something, with no sense that it is brief.
- flash
- Flash suggests an extremely short appearance of light or an image.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: glimpse or glance? glimpse or glimmer?
glimpse vs glance
You glance at something on purpose, but you glimpse it when it appears briefly and you see only part.
glimpse vs glimmer
A glimmer is a faint, unsteady light or small hint, such as a glimmer of hope.
Practice
The tourists waited all morning, hoping to catch a ___ of the queen.
Choose one answer.
Catch a glimpse of is the fixed phrase for a brief sighting. You take or give a glance at something, so glance does not collocate with catch a ... of.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “glimpse”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.