glow verb - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com

TOP

Definition of glow verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

glow

verb

/ɡləʊ/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they glow	/ɡləʊ/ /ɡləʊ/
he / she / it glows	/ɡləʊz/ /ɡləʊz/
past simple glowed	/ɡləʊd/ /ɡləʊd/
past participle glowed	/ɡləʊd/ /ɡləʊd/
-ing form glowing	/ˈɡləʊɪŋ/ /ˈɡləʊɪŋ/

jump to other results

[intransitive] (especially of something hot or warm) to produce a steady light that is not very bright
- The embers still glowed in the hearth.
- The lighted candles glowed in the darkness.
- The strap has a fluorescent coating that glows in the dark.
- + adj. A cigarette end glowed red in the darkness.
Synonyms shine
shinegleam ▪ glow ▪ sparkle ▪ glisten ▪ shimmer ▪ glitter ▪ twinkle ▪ glintThese words all mean to produce or reflect light.
shine to produce or reflect light, especially brightly:
The sun was shining and the sky was blue.
gleam to shine with a clear bright or pale light, especially a reflected light:
Moonlight gleamed on the water.
glow (often of something hot or warm) to produce a steady light that is not very bright:
The end of his cigarette glowed red.
sparkle to shine brightly with small flashes of light:
The diamonds sparkled in the light.
glisten (of something wet) to shine:
The road glistened wet after the rain.
shimmer to shine with a soft light that seems to shake slightly:
Everything seemed to shimmer in the heat.
glitter to shine brightly with small flashes of reflected light:
The ceiling of the cathedral glittered with gold.
sparkle or glitter?There is very little difference in meaning between these two words. Glitter can sometimes suggest a lack of depth, but this is more frequent in the figurative use of glitter as a noun: the superficial glitter of show business. Sparkle is also often used to talk about light reflected off a surface, but things that produce light can also sparkle: Stars sparkled in the sky.
twinkle to shine with a light that changes rapidly from bright to faint to bright again:
Stars twinkled in the sky.
glint to give small bright flashes of reflected light:
The blade of the knife glinted in the darkness.
Patterns
- to shine/gleam/sparkle/glisten/shimmer/glitter/glint on something
- to shine/gleam/glow/sparkle/glisten/shimmer/glitter/twinkle/glint with something
- to shine/gleam/sparkle/glisten/shimmer/glitter/glint in the sunlight
- to shine/gleam/glisten/shimmer/glitter/glint in the moonlight
- the stars shine/sparkle/glitter/twinkle
- somebody’s eyes shine/gleam/glow/sparkle/glisten/glitter/twinkle/glint
- to shine/gleam/glow/glitter brightly
- to shine/gleam/glow/shimmer softly
Extra Examples
- A dull light glowed in the kitchen window.
- The fire glowed in the hearth.
- The stones around the bonfire glowed red with the heat.
- Two lamps glowed softly in the lounge.
- A red light glowed faintly just ahead of us.
- He has a watch that glows in the dark.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- faintly
- softly
phrases
- glow orange, red, etc.
See full entry
Definitions on the go

Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.
[intransitive] (of a person’s body or face) to look or feel warm or pink, especially after exercise or because you are excited, embarrassed, etc.
- Her cheeks were glowing.
- glow with something His face glowed with embarrassment.
Extra Examples
- Her eyes glowed with anger.
- His skin was glowing from the exercise.
- She sat there silently, her eyes glowing with fury.
Topics Health and Fitnessc2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- positively
preposition
- with
See full entry
[intransitive] glow (with something) to look very pleased or satisfied
- She was positively glowing with pride.
- He gave her a warm glowing smile.
Extra Examples
- She glowed with pleasure at the compliment.
- She was positively glowing with happiness.
Topics Feelingsc2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- positively
preposition
- with
See full entry
[intransitive] to appear a strong, warm colour
- glow (with something) The countryside glowed with autumn colours.
- + adj. The brick walls glowed red in the late afternoon sun.

Word OriginOld English glōwan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch gloeien and German glühen.

See glow in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

Check pronunciation: glow

Other results

All matches

Nearby words

era

noun

From the Topic

History

Oxford Learner's Dictionaries Word of the Day