What does glare mean?
Glare has two broad but distinct uses. As a noun, it can mean an intense, hostile, or angry look, as in “She responded with a glare.” It can also mean a harsh, dazzling brightness, especially sunlight reflected from a surface or the intense light of headlights. As a verb, glare describes looking angrily or confrontationally, usually in the pattern “glare at someone,” and it can also describe a light shining with excessive brilliance. The angry sense is the most common in everyday conversation, while the light-related sense is especially frequent in descriptive and literary writing. Glare is useful because it captures both the force of a look and the force of bright light. The association with an angry stare also gives the word a strong emotional tone, whereas the noun meaning brightness can be neutral or even unpleasant depending on the context.
An intense, hostile, or angry stare; also, harsh and dazzling light or brightness.
"The witness met the interviewer with a steady glare."
The two senses are distinguished by context: a person gives a glare, while a surface or light produces the glare of brightness.
To stare with an angry or hostile expression, or to shine with harsh, dazzling intensity.
"The two rivals glared at each other across the table."
The verb is usually followed by at when describing an angry look. The light-related use is less common and often descriptive.
The plural is used for multiple hostile or expressive looks, though the singular is often more natural in ordinary conversation.
"They exchanged angry glares across the crowded room."
One word can mean both an angry look and the merciless brightness of the sun.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does glare come from?
The word comes through Middle English glaren from Old English glǣran, meaning “to shine” or “to glare.” Its ultimate connection is with a Proto-Indo-European root associated with shining or brightness. Related English words such as gleam, glimmer, and glisten developed within the same broad family of Germanic words for light and brilliance.
Related word forms
How glare is actually used
As a verb, glare is commonly used with at: “He glared at her.” As a noun, a glare usually denotes an angry look, while the glare of a light suggests harsh reflected brightness. The word is standard in formal and informal English in both British and American usage.
Easily confused with glare
A stare can be neutral, curious, or deliberate, whereas a glare specifically suggests an intense, hostile, or angry look.
A gleam is a soft or brief flash of light, while glare refers to harsh, dazzling brightness.