glimpse
/ˈɡlɪm(p)s/verb, noun
glimpse is spelled G-L-I-M-P-S-E: 7 letters and one syllable. It appears 6.5 times per million words in written English, the 9,463rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, glimpse means “To see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in glimpse?
| Letters | 7: G-L-I-M-P-S-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 |
| In writing | 6.5 times per million words; the 9,463rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is glimpse?
Glimpse appears 6.5 times per million words in written English, the 9,463rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce glimpse?
- /ˈɡlɪm(p)s/
- [ˈɡl̥ɪm(p)s]
Glimpse has one syllable.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-glimpse.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of glimpse
- glimpses present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- glimpsing participle, present
- glimpsed participle, past, singular, he/she/it, plural
- glinse
- glympse
- glymse
- glimse
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does glimpse mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely.
- 2
To perceive (something intangible) briefly and incompletely.
I have only begun to glimpse the magnitude of the problem.
- 3
Chiefly followed by at or upon: to look at briefly and incompletely; to glance.
- 4
To shine with a faint, unsteady light; to glimmer, to shimmer.
- 5
archaicTo appear or start to appear, especially faintly or unclearly; to dawn.
- 6
rareSometimes followed by out: to provide a brief and incomplete look.
noun
- 1
Chiefly followed by of: a brief and incomplete look.
I only got a glimpse of the car, so I can tell you the colour but not the registration number.
- 2
archaicA brief, sudden flash of light; a glimmer.
- 3
A faint or imprecise idea; an inkling.
- 4
rareA brief, unspecified amount of time; a moment.
- 5
obsoleteA faint (and often temporary) appearance; a tinge.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Glimpse in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | entrevoir , aperçu |
| German | entdecken, erhaschen , Blick , Aufblitzen, Aufleuchten |
| Portuguese | vislumbrar , olhadela , relance |
| Spanish | atisbar, entrever, ojear, vislumbrar , atisbo |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does glimpse come from?
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.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).