What does "glide" mean?
The act of gliding.
Glide
/ˈɡlaɪd/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act of gliding.
- Grammar: glide is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: coast, semivowel, slide, accented.
- Useful contrasts: hulking, barge, block.
- Usage evidence: A bird can glide through the air without moving its wings.
How to use "glide"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "glide" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "glide" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "glide" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "glide" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "glide" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "coast" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "glide", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The act of gliding.
- 2 the activity of flying a glider wordnet
- 3 A transitional sound, especially a semivowel.
- 4 the act of moving smoothly along a surface while remaining in contact with it wordnet
- 5 An attack or preparatory movement made by sliding down the opponent’s blade, keeping it in constant contact.
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 a vowellike sound that serves as a consonant wordnet
- 7 A bird, the glede or kite.
- 8 A kind of cap affixed to the base of the legs of furniture to prevent it from damaging the floor while being moved.
- 9 The joining of two sounds without a break.
- 10 A smooth and sliding step in dancing the waltz.
Verb
- 1 To move softly, smoothly, or effortlessly. intransitive
"The river glideth at his own sweet will:"
- 2 move smoothly and effortlessly wordnet
- 3 To fly unpowered, as of an aircraft. Also relates to gliding birds and flying fish. intransitive
"The tide was out, and we drew up amid the strong bracing smell of seaweed, with gulls screeching, wheeling around, and gliding on the wind."
- 4 cause to move or pass silently, smoothly, or imperceptibly wordnet
- 5 To cause to glide. transitive
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 fly in or as if in a glider plane wordnet
- 7 To pass with a glide, as the voice.
Proper Noun
- 1 A census-designated place in Douglas County, Oregon, United States.
Example
"A bird can glide through the air without moving its wings."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "glide"?
Common synonyms include: coast, semivowel, slide, accented, acrobatics, adjust.
How do you use "glide" in a sentence?
A bird can glide through the air without moving its wings.
How do you pronounce "glide"?
Pronounced /ˈɡlaɪd/.
Etymology
From Middle English gliden, from Old English glīdan, from Proto-West Germanic *glīdan, from Proto-Germanic *glīdaną, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰleydʰ-. Cognate with West Frisian glide, glydzje, Low German glieden, Dutch glijden, German gleiten, Norwegian Nynorsk gli, Danish glide, Swedish glida, Finnish liitää.