glide

1 of 2

verb

ˈglīd 

glided; gliding

intransitive verb

1

: to move smoothly, continuously, and effortlessly

swans gliding over the lake

2

: to go or pass imperceptibly

hours glided by

3

a

of an airplane : to descend gradually in controlled flight

b

: to fly in a glider

4

: to produce a glide (as in music or speech)

transitive verb

: to cause to glide

glide

2 of 2

noun

1

: a calm stretch of shallow water flowing smoothly

2

: the act or action of gliding

3

: portamento

4

a

: a less prominent vowel sound produced by the passing of the vocal organs to or from the articulatory position of a speech sound compare diphthong

b

: semivowel

5

: a device for facilitating movement of something

especially : a circular usually metal button attached to the bottom of furniture legs to provide a smooth surface

Synonyms

Verb

• bowl
• breeze
• brush
• coast
• cruise
• drift
• flow
• roll
• sail
• skim
• slide
• slip
• stream
• sweep
• whisk

Examples of glide in a Sentence

Verb

The swans glided over the surface of the lake.

We watched the skiers glide down the slope.

The pilot glided to a safe landing after the engine failed.

The pilot glided the plane to a safe landing.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The creamy soft bubbles glide across your mouth to conclude in a refreshing tart apple finish. —Liz Thach, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024

In this festive flick, Sierra glides through the slopes of romance under the hospitality of a brooding lodge owner (Chord Overstreet) and his charming daughter (Olivia Perez). —Kelsie Gibson, People.com, 17 Dec. 2024

Noun

But weapons and having more weapons, especially long range, especially something to counter this 3,000 glide bombs every month that Russians are sending against us, those missiles, both Russian and North Korean missiles. —CBS News, 15 Dec. 2024

After running for a while, the bull was wrangled in the middle of the interstate and refused to move, Wade said, noting that crews were finally able to get the bull on a plastic glide and then used a winch to load him into a trailer. —Gabrielle Chenault, The Tennessean, 25 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English glīdan; akin to Old High German glītan to glide

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1584, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing glide

• glide path
• glide slope

Kids Definition

glide

verb

ˈglīd

glided; gliding

1

: to move smoothly, silently, and effortlessly

2

: to descend gradually without enough engine power for level flight

glide in an airplane

glide noun