At last he stopped before an old house, and caught another glimpse of the town.
Source: tatoeba (39874)
Glimpse
/ɡlɪm(p)s/
Synonyms for "glimpse" (93 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (19)
a little learningamateurismbeholdblinkcastcast a glancecatch sight ofclap eyes ondescrydilettantismdilettantshipdiscerndiscoverdistinguish
Strong matches (28)
Related words (46)
look uponmake outnoticeobservepeekpeepperceivepick outquick sightrapid glancerecognizesciolismseesemi-learningshallownesssightslantslight knowledgesmatteringsmattering of ignorance
Show 12 more words
smattering of knowledgespotspysquizsuperficialitysurface-scratchingtake intwigvague notionviewwinkwitness
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: glance, a little learning, amateurism, apercu, behold.
- Sentence evidence is available for glimpse, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "glimpse".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "glimpse"
Keep "glimpse" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "glimpse" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "glimpse", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "glimpse" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
18 entriesShowing 16 of 18 words.
More specific
8 entriesCollocations
10 entriesbrief glimpsecatch a glimpsefleeting glimpseglimpse atglimpse intoglimpse into historyglimpse into the futureglimpse ofglimpse of datanarrow glimpse
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
1 entriesTranslations
33 translations across 21 languages.
Aromanian
1 entries- ndzãrescu verb (to see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely; to perceive (something intangible) briefly and incompletely)
Bulgarian
2 entries- зървам verb (to see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely; to perceive (something intangible) briefly and incompletely)
- съзирам verb (to see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely; to perceive (something intangible) briefly and incompletely)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 瞥見 /瞥见 verb (to see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely; to perceive (something intangible) briefly and incompletely)
Czech
1 entries- zahlédnout verb (to see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely; to perceive (something intangible) briefly and incompletely)
Dutch
1 entries- een glimp opvangen verb (to see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely; to perceive (something intangible) briefly and incompletely)
Esperanto
1 entries- ekvidi verb (to see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely; to perceive (something intangible) briefly and incompletely)
Finnish
2 entries- silmäillä verb (to see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely; to perceive (something intangible) briefly and incompletely)
- vilkaista verb (to see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely; to perceive (something intangible) briefly and incompletely)
French
1 entries- entrevoir verb (to see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely; to perceive (something intangible) briefly and incompletely)
Galician
1 entries- albiscar verb (to see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely; to perceive (something intangible) briefly and incompletely)
German
2 entries- entdecken verb (to see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely; to perceive (something intangible) briefly and incompletely)
- erhaschen verb (to see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely; to perceive (something intangible) briefly and incompletely)
Greek
1 entries- βλέπω φευγαλέα verb (to see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely; to perceive (something intangible) briefly and incompletely)
Italian
1 entries- intravedere verb (to see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely; to perceive (something intangible) briefly and incompletely)
Māori
2 entries- kite wheriko verb (to see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely; to perceive (something intangible) briefly and incompletely)
- wheriko verb (to see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely; to perceive (something intangible) briefly and incompletely)
Occitan
1 entries- entrevéser verb (to see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely; to perceive (something intangible) briefly and incompletely)
Polish
2 entries- dostrzec verb (to see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely; to perceive (something intangible) briefly and incompletely)
- dostrzegać verb (to see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely; to perceive (something intangible) briefly and incompletely)
Portuguese
1 entries- vislumbrar verb (to see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely; to perceive (something intangible) briefly and incompletely)
Romanian
2 entries- zări verb (to see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely; to perceive (something intangible) briefly and incompletely)
- întrezări verb (to see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely; to perceive (something intangible) briefly and incompletely)
Russian
3 entries- бе́гло взгляну́ть verb (to see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely; to perceive (something intangible) briefly and incompletely)
- гля́нуть verb (to see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely; to perceive (something intangible) briefly and incompletely)
- уви́деть ме́льком verb (to see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely; to perceive (something intangible) briefly and incompletely)
Spanish
4 entries- atisbar verb (to see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely; to perceive (something intangible) briefly and incompletely)
- entrever verb (to see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely; to perceive (something intangible) briefly and incompletely)
- ojear verb (to see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely; to perceive (something intangible) briefly and incompletely)
- vislumbrar verb (to see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely; to perceive (something intangible) briefly and incompletely)
Swedish
2 entries- glimta verb (to see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely; to perceive (something intangible) briefly and incompletely)
- skymta verb (to see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely; to perceive (something intangible) briefly and incompletely)
Thai
1 entries- เหลือบ verb (to see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely; to perceive (something intangible) briefly and incompletely)
Sample sentences
50 total sentences available.
We can get a glimpse of the lifestyle of ancient people from this wall painting.
Source: tatoeba (57211)
I can't quite explain it, but I believe I've caught a glimpse of the differences between Japanese and American cultures and lifestyles.
Source: tatoeba (239758)
I only got a glimpse of the thief.
Source: tatoeba (252178)
Showing 4 of 50 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "glimpse"?
Closest matches include glance, a little learning, amateurism, apercu, behold.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "glimpse"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.