WordGarden.ioglide
B1Pronunciation
UK
- /ɡlˈaɪd/
US
- /ˈɡlaɪd/
Meanings
Verb
to move smoothly and quietly with little visible effort
to fly without engine power or with little apparent effort
to pass gradually and smoothly, especially of time
Noun
a smooth, easy movement
a vowel-like speech sound that moves quickly into another sound
Beyond the definition
To glide is to move in a smooth, easy way, like a skater on ice or a bird riding the air. You might glide across the dance floor, or watch a plane glide down to land. It suggests very little friction and a feeling of graceful motion. A shadow can glide across a wall as the sun moves, and sometimes thoughts glide through your mind without you even trying to hold on to them.
The word "glide" evokes images of smooth, effortless movement. At its core, it means to move with a continuous sliding motion, often without much effort or resistance. Think of an ice skater gliding across the rink: they appear to float rather than walk. Or imagine a hawk gliding on thermal currents, barely flapping its wings.
"Glide" isn't limited to physical movement, though. It can also describe something happening smoothly and quickly, like "The hours glided by." You might say a conversation glides along when it's easy and natural. A politician might try to glide past a difficult question during an interview—attempting to avoid it with smooth talk.
Historically, "glide" comes from Old English words relating to slipping or sliding. It carries a sense of grace and ease that sets it apart from other verbs describing movement like "walk" or "run." While those imply effort, gliding suggests a near-weightless transition.
So whether you're picturing a swan on water, a plane descending, or time passing quickly, "glide" captures the essence of smooth, effortless motion—both physical and metaphorical.
Examples
- 1
Nature
A swan glided across the lake in the early morning light.
- 2
Skating
The skater glided over the ice without a sound.
- 3
Emergency landing
The pilot managed to glide the plane down to a safe landing.
- 4
Elegant movement
She glided into the room in a long black dress.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Topic change
Our conversation glided from small talk to more serious topics.
- Patternglide from X to Y
change smoothly from one thing to another
- 6
Avoiding details
The report glides over the biggest problems instead of explaining them.
- Patternglide over + problem/topic
deal with it too quickly or too lightly
See also
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- glidenounverb
Forms
- gliding-ing formverbnoun
- glidespluralnounverb
- glidedpast tenseverbnoun