noun
glare
gleh-uh
noun
1
A harsh, dazzling light.
"The glare off the snow made it hard to see the road ahead."
"She shielded her eyes from the glare of the headlights."
2
An angry, fierce stare.
"He gave the referee a glare after the decision."
verb
1
To stare angrily at someone.
"She glared at him across the room."
"The teacher glared at the students who were talking."
2
To shine with a harsh, dazzling light.
"The midday sun glared down on the desert."
How to Use Glare
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither a blinding bright light, or a hostile, fixed stare — and, as a verb, to produce either.
Easily confused with
glower
stare →
Common pairings
glare of the sun
give someone a glare
glare angrily
Word Forms
more glare comparative, glared past tense, glares plural, glares singular, most glare superlative
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The _____ off the snow made it hard to see the road ahead.
Etymology
From Middle English glaren, related to Old English and Germanic words meaning "to glisten" or "to shine brightly" — the same root family as glass and glower.