glare

1 of 2

verb

glared; glaring

intransitive verb

1
a
: to shine with a harsh uncomfortably brilliant light
2
: to stare angrily or fiercely
glared at me with rage and hate

transitive verb

1
: to express (something, such as hostility) by staring angrily
glared defiance at each other
2
archaic : to cause to be sharply reflected

glare

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: a harsh uncomfortably bright light
the glare of a neon sign
the glare of publicity
especially : painfully bright sunlight
b
: cheap showy brilliance : garishness
enjoyed the glitter and glare of the city's nightlife
2
: an angry or fierce stare
3
: a surface or sheet of smooth and slippery ice

Examples of glare in a Sentence

Verb The sun glared down relentlessly. The white snow glared in the morning sunlight. The teacher glared at him as he walked in late. Noun There was a glare coming off the water. I was blinded by the glare of the approaching headlights. I shielded my eyes from the glare of the sun. The car's headlights are designed to cut down on glare. She responded to the reporters' questions with an angry glare.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
To the rest of the world, the hypocrisy is glaring and instructive. Oona A. Hathaway, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024 This team might not have glaring needs heading into three days of selections, but the 49ers’ roster desperately needs to build depth for the upcoming season (and bring in starters for the not-too-distant future). Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2024 Though the tech continues to improve, there are still glaring problems with generative AI. Gerrit De Vynck, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2024 But Miami is still in win-now mode and has a glaring hole on the defensive line after Christian Wilkins signed with the Raiders. Daniel Oyefusi, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2024 First-year head coach Eric Ramsay has been adjusting midseason to his new team within a foreign league, and the Welshman has to manage a squad around the glaring absence of its best player. Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 12 Apr. 2024 And with 99 Cents Only as the company name, the widening discrepancy between its longtime marketing hook and what was actually on the price tags became glaring to budget-conscious customers. Andrea Chang, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024 With first pitch at 6:06 p.m. Saturday, the sun was still glaring behind home plate when Padres leadoff man Xander Bogaerts lifted a pop fly to shallow center field. Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2024 The little informational card poking out of the seat-back pocket in front of me started to look ominous—the words Boeing 737-900 positively glared at me as the cabin shook. Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 20 Mar. 2024
Noun
But a new era of social media oversaturation, thanks to TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram Stories and various other apps, have afforded Gen Z far fewer moments to escape the ever-present glare of being publicly chronicled on social media. Bobby Allyn, NPR, 19 Apr. 2024 In the video, a mountain lion can be seen passing within several feet of the home, strolling into the glare of a porch light before disappearing into the dark. Mitchell Willetts, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2024 The International Dark Sky Society, founded in 1988, works to raise awareness of light pollution and to promote responsible lighting to reduce glare, light trespass and night glow. Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2024 During totality, the sun's outer atmosphere known as the corona, which is normally lost in the sun's bright glare, makes a dazzling appearance. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024 His advice for preventing bedroom falls included eliminating throw rugs, (which are common trip hazards), as well as maximizing lighting and minimizing glare, finishing surfaces in contrasting colors, making sure floors are level and minimizing entry thresholds. Jamie Gold, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024 But during a partial eclipse, the moon’s shadow allows people to stare at the sun longer without experiencing that intense glare. Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2024 The footage, which is obscured by the glare of a streetlight, shows a light-colored sedan with its lights off next to the parking lot of a high school. Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2024 Notably, the most prominent object on that nightstand isn’t a book but an iPhone, whose alarm goes off at 5:50 A.M., jolting Angela out of a few hours’ slumber and into the pitiless glare of a new day. Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'glare.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English glaren; akin to Old English glæs glass

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of glare was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near glare

Cite this Entry

“Glare.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glare. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

glare

verb
ˈgla(ə)r,
ˈgle(ə)r
glared; glaring
1
a
: to shine with a harsh uncomfortably brilliant light
b
: to stand out annoyingly
2
: to stare angrily or fiercely
glare noun
glary
ˈgla(ə)r-ē
ˈgle(ə)r-
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on glare

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!