Glare
/ɡleər/
Definitions
2 meaningsA strong, unpleasant light or a fiercely hostile stare.
/ɡleər/
An intensely bright light or a harsh, unpleasant stare.
The glare of the headlights blinded him.
💡 Simply: Imagine the sun is super bright and makes you squint – that's a glare! Or, if someone looks at you with a mean face, like they're really mad, that's also a glare.
👶 For kids: A very, very bright light that hurts your eyes, or a mean look that someone gives you.
More Examples
She ignored the glare from her boss.
The sun's glare on the water created a shimmering effect.
How It's Used
"The sun's glare made it difficult to see the road."
"He gave her a withering glare when she interrupted."
To stare in an angry or fierce way.
/ɡleər/
To stare fiercely or angrily.
She glared at him, annoyed by his rudeness.
💡 Simply: When you're really, really mad at someone, you might give them a mean stare, like a 'don't mess with me' look. That's glaring!
👶 For kids: To look at someone really angry, like you're about to get into a fight.
More Examples
The teacher glared at the students who were talking.
The headlights glared in his eyes, temporarily blinding him.
How It's Used
"He glared at the person who cut in line."
"The villain glared menacingly at the hero."
Idioms & expressions
glare at someone
To stare angrily at someone.
"She glared at him in disapproval."
a glare of disapproval
An angry look that shows you don't approve of something.
"The teacher gave the student a glare of disapproval when he cheated on the test."
From Middle English *glaren*, from Old English *glærian* 'to stare, look fiercely'. Related to words for 'gleam' and 'glitter'.
The word has existed in English since the Middle Ages, reflecting common experiences of bright light and angry stares.
Memory tip
Think of the intense light *glaring* off the snow, or someone *glaring* at you angrily.
Word Origin
"to stare, look fiercely"