What does glanced mean?
Glanced is the past tense and past participle of glance, meaning to look briefly or quickly at someone or something. It is used for a momentary look, often one made while continuing an activity or without giving the subject full attention. For example, a person may glance at a clock, glance over a report, or exchange a quick glance with a colleague. The word can imply that the look is hurried, casual, or incomplete, but it does not necessarily carry a negative judgment. In formal writing, it is a precise alternative to a vague expression such as “looked,” especially when the brevity of the action matters. “Glanced” can also be used figuratively when someone checks or skims information briefly. Its related forms include “glance,” “glances,” and “glancing,” while closely related words such as “glint,” “glitter,” and “glimmer” reflect its historical association with looking and shining.
verb (past tense and past participle)To look briefly or quickly at someone or something, often without stopping. It can also mean to notice or skim something momentarily.
- To look briefly or quickly at someone or something, often without stopping.
"She glanced at the darkening sky and pulled her coat tighter."
"She glanced at the darkening sky and pulled her coat tighter."
"He glanced over the figures before looking up at the meeting."
A glance is a tiny piece of visual time: enough to notice something, but rarely enough to study it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does glanced come from?
The word appears in Middle English in forms such as glaunch and glans, with senses connected with looking or seeing, and was influenced by Old French glancer. Its deeper ancestry is generally connected with a Germanic root associated with looking or shining, which also lies behind related words such as glint, glitter, and glimmer, although the precise historical development is not entirely certain.
Related word forms
How glanced is actually used
The word is neutral in register and can suggest hurried, brief, or merely superficial attention. It is commonly used with “at” and “over” and is often contrasted with “stared” or “studied.”
Easily confused with glanced
Glanced means to look briefly, whereas gained means to obtain or increase something.