ENGLISH
REFERENCE

glancing

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈɡɫænsɪŋ// UK //ɡlˈɑːnsɪŋ// glanc·ing

adj. hitting something at an angle and then moving away, rather than hitting it directly. It describes a touch or blow that is not very strong because it slides off the surface.

adj. striking a surface at an oblique angle rather than head-on, resulting in a deflection. Often describes physical contact or light that hits a surface and bounces off to the side.


SIMPLE

The car escaped with only a glancing blow to the bumper.

CONTEXTUAL

The cyclist was lucky to suffer only a glancing hit from the opening car door instead of a direct collision.

COMPLEX

The sunlight hit the polished marble at a glancing angle, creating a long streak of reflected light that illuminated the far corner of the otherwise dim hallway.

Synonyms
Usage

Typically used attributively before nouns like 'blow', 'hit', or 'shot'.

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