glimpse

Meaning

Verb

1. (transitive) To see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely.
2. (figuratively, transitive) To perceive (something intangible) briefly and incompletely.
3. (intransitive) Chiefly followed by at or upon: to look at briefly and incompletely; to glance.
4. (intransitive) To shine with a faint, unsteady light; to glimmer, to shimmer.
5. (archaic, intransitive, poetic) To appear or start to appear, especially faintly or unclearly; to dawn.
6. (intransitive, rare) Sometimes followed by out: to provide a brief and incomplete look.

Noun

1. Chiefly followed by of: a brief and incomplete look.
2. (archaic) A brief, sudden flash of light; a glimmer.
3. (figuratively) A faint or imprecise idea; an inkling.
4. (figuratively, rare) A brief, unspecified amount of time; a moment.
5. (obsolete) A faint (and often temporary) appearance; a tinge.

Synonyms

glance

look

peep

peek

spot

notice

detect

flicker

spy

espy

descry

note

twinkle

ogle

coup d’oeil

glance at

perceive

gleams

gleam

remark

scan

glimmer

sight

flash

tinge

tint

trace

view

beam of light

catch a glimpse of

shoot a glance at

shoot a look at

have a glimpse

part

take a glance

behold

breath

cast

catch side of

catch sight of

chink

eye

👁️

flashing

gander

gaze

glimmering

glint

glitter

hint

look askance

Translations

intravedere

entrevoir

vistazo

entrever

occhiata

Blick

ullada

vislumbrar

olhadela

relance

vislumbrar

regard

entreveure

flüchtiger Blick

coup d’œil

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɡlɪmps/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: glimsen

Cognate with Middle High German: glimsen

Cognate with Middle Dutch: glinsen

Cognate with Middle Low German: glinsen

Cognate with Middle High German: glinsen

Cognate with Dutch: glinsteren

Cognate with Dutch: glimmen

In summary

The verb is derived from earlier glimse (obsolete), from Middle English glimsen (“to dazzle; to glisten; to glance with the eyes”), possibly from Old English *glimsian, from Proto-West Germanic *glimmisōjan, from Proto-Germanic *glimō, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰley- (“to shine”). Doublet of glimmer.
The noun is derived from the verb.
Cognates
Middle Dutch glinsen (modern Dutch glinsteren (“to glint, glitter, shimmer, sparkle; to glance”), glimmen (“to gleam, shine”))
Middle High German glimsen (“to glow, smoulder”), glinsen (“to glimmer, shine”)
Middle Low German glinsen, glintzen, glinzen (“to shimmer, shine”)