glaring

adjective

glar·​ing ˈgler-iŋ How to pronounce glaring (audio)
Synonyms of glaring
1
: having a fixed look of hostility, fierceness, or anger
2
a
: shining with or reflecting an uncomfortably bright light
b(1)
: garish
(2)
: vulgarly ostentatious
3
: obtrusively and often painfully obvious
a glaring error
glaringly
ˈgler-iŋ-lē How to pronounce glaring (audio)
adverb
glaringness noun

Synonyms of glaring

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
Choose the Right Synonym for glaring

flagrant, glaring, gross, rank mean conspicuously bad or objectionable.

flagrant applies usually to offenses or errors so bad that they can neither escape notice nor be condoned.

flagrant abuse of the office of president

glaring implies painful or damaging obtrusiveness of something that is conspicuously wrong, faulty, or improper.

glaring errors

gross implies the exceeding of reasonable or excusable limits.

gross carelessness

rank applies to what is openly and extremely objectionable and utterly condemned.

rank heresy

Examples of glaring in a Sentence

a glaring example of racism no one missed the glaring spelling error in the title
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
These issues are perhaps most glaring on Le Ravi, which hosts not one but two fake journalists. — Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 30 July 2026 Samsung credits a dual-layer structure called Flex Titanium for flattening the display and turning what was once a glaring trench into a subtle seam. — Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 29 July 2026 By celebrating Dolson while treating Cunningham's defense of Title IX as controversial, the Storm's official channels highlighted what critics see as a glaring double standard. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026 Trump is now using the power of the federal government to drive the two sections further apart, a glaring act of division as the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary. — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for glaring

Word History

Etymology

see glare entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of glaring was in the 14th century

Rhymes for glaring

See All Rhymes for glaring

Browse Nearby Words

glariness
glaring
glaringly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Glaring.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glaring. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

glaring

adjective
glar·​ing
ˈgla(ə)r-iŋ, 
ˈgle(ə)r-
: painfully obvious
a glaring mistake
glaringly adverb
glaringness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on glaring

Nglish: Translation of glaring for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All