Glare
/ɡlɛər/
nounverbB2
Definition
As a noun, glare is a very bright and unpleasant light that makes it difficult to see well. As a verb, glare means to look at someone with strong anger or dislike, often with a fixed, hard stare. It can describe both light and a way of looking at people.
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See It in Action
Very bright, strong light that hurts your eyes
- •The glare of the sun made it hard to drive.
- •She wore sunglasses to protect her eyes from the glare.
- •The glare from the computer screen tired his eyes.
An angry or fierce look someone gives
- •He gave me a glare when I accidentally bumped into him.
- •The teacher glared at the noisy students.
- •She glared at him because she was upset.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "glare" like "look" (A1 word), but much stronger and angry or very bright and uncomfortable
- ✓Picture the sun shining in your eyes so brightly that you have to close them or turn away (for light glare)
- ✓Imagine someone looking at you with angry eyes, as if they are upset or warning you (for angry glare)
- ✓Sounds like "GLAIR" → imagine glass that shines too much and hurts your eyes, or someone glaring through glass with a hard stare
- ✓Think of a character in a movie who stares fiercely to show anger or dislike, like a villain glaring at the hero
- ✓NOT like "shine" (which is gentle and pleasant), glare is harsh and often unwanted light
- ✓NOT like "look" (which can be soft or neutral), glare shows strong emotion, often anger or warning
- ✓NOT like "glow" (light from inside), glare is usually bright light from outside or a very hard look from a person
Try Other Words
- •Shine: gentle light (Use when the light is soft and pleasant, not harsh)
- •Stare: look fixedly (Use when the look is long but not angry)
- •Scowl: angry facial expression (Use when focusing on the face, not just the eyes)
- •Dazzle: very bright light that confuses (Use when light is so bright it makes you unable to see clearly)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: (no prefix or suffix, root word "glare")
- •Etymology: From Old English "gler" meaning brightness or shining
- •Historical development: Originally meant bright light, later also used for angry looks
- •Modern usage: Used both for strong light and for angry or fierce looks from people
- •Key insight: One word for both bright, harsh light and a strong, angry look
Reflect & Connect
•How can the same word describe both light and a type of look? What do these two meanings have in common?
•Can you think of a time when you felt the glare of the sun or someone’s glare? How did it make you feel?
Fill in the blanks
1.The glare of the sun was so strong that I had to ___ my eyes to see clearly.
2.When she made a mistake, her boss gave her a cold glare that showed his ___.
3.Unlike a soft light, the glare from the headlights made it ___ to drive safely.
4.He didn't smile; instead, he glared ___ at the person who interrupted him.
5.Sunglasses help reduce the ___ from bright lights on sunny days.
6.The teacher glared at the students because they were ___ during the lesson.
7.In the movie, the villain's glare made the hero feel ___ and nervous.