Meaning & use

glossing

verb·Advanced

Last updated

Adding a superficial shine or explanation to something, especially in the phrase "glossing over," meaning to treat a difficult subject briefly or superficially to avoid dealing with it fully.

See it in a sentence

The report kept glossing over the project's biggest failures.

The editor spent the afternoon glossing difficult terms in the medieval manuscript.

A note on using this word

The word has two distinct roots: one from "gloss" meaning shine (as in glossy paint), and another from "gloss" meaning an explanatory note or translation, as in glossing a text.

Words with a similar meaning

skimmingdownplayingannotating

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

scrutinizingdetailing

Make it your own

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