glow
Americannoun
-
glows
plural
-
a light emitted by or as if by a substance heated to luminosity; incandescence.
-
brightness of color.
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a sensation or state of bodily heat.
-
a warm, ruddy color of the cheeks.
-
warmth of emotion or passion; ardor.
verb (used without object)
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glows,
present (3rd person singular)
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glowed,
past participle, past
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glowing
present participle
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to emit bright light and heat without flame; become incandescent.
-
to shine like something intensely heated.
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to exhibit a strong, bright color; be lustrously red or brilliant.
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(of the cheeks) to exhibit a healthy, warm, ruddy color.
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to become or feel very warm or hot.
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to show emotion or elation.
to glow with pride.
noun
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light emitted by a substance or object at a high temperature
-
a steady even light without flames
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brilliance or vividness of colour
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brightness or ruddiness of complexion
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a feeling of wellbeing or satisfaction
-
intensity of emotion; ardour
verb
-
to emit a steady even light without flames
-
to shine intensely, as if from great heat
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to be exuberant or high-spirited, as from excellent health or intense emotion
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to experience a feeling of wellbeing or satisfaction
to glow with pride
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(esp of the complexion) to show a strong bright colour, esp a shade of red
-
to be very hot
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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glowsimple
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glowssimple
-
have glowedperfect
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has glowedperfect
-
am glowingprogressive
-
are glowingprogressive
-
is glowingprogressive
-
have been glowingperfect progressive
-
has been glowingperfect progressive
Past
-
glowedsimple
-
had glowedperfect
-
was glowingprogressive
-
were glowingprogressive
-
had been glowingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of glow
First recorded before 1000; Middle English glowen (verb), Old English glōwan; akin to German glühen, Old Norse glōa
Explanation
To glow is to shine with light. On a clear night when the moon is full, it glows in the sky. A nightlight glows in a dark room, and a distant flashlight beam glows like a candle. Other things that glow include fireflies, TV screens, and city lights when seen from an airplane at night. A person's face can also be said to glow, when it's shining and flushed with health or happiness. The radiance of light or pleasure itself can also be called a glow, from the Old English glowan, "to shine as if red-hot."
Vocabulary lists containing glow
All Aglow: Light Lingo
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Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 5
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This Week In Words: Current Events Vocab for March 6–12, 2021
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
On another late summer night in New York, under the red glow of the DJ booth and a canopy of globe string lights, the rooftop’s wooden floorboards dip beneath scores of platform heels.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
In the case of InnerPlant, that optical signal is a glow given off by the plant that is invisible to the human eye but detectable by tractors with cameras in the field, drones or satellites.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
Either result will paint a fuller picture, widening the spotlight little by little, until everything begins to glow.
From Salon ● Oct. 12, 2026
Scott McTominay wouldn't touch one back in Manchester, but since moving to southern Italy he boasts the glow of a man loving both the local Neapolitan cuisine and his football.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
There was smoke between here and there, but Akira didn’t see the glow of flames.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
Launched in the clubbing capital of Ibiza, it's targeted toward clubbers and festival-goers, and one of its ingredients, vitamin B2, is naturally luminescent and glows under UV club lights.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
Earth's atmosphere naturally glows in these wavelengths, making it much harder for ground based telescopes to detect such faint objects.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026
More than 60 years after her death, Monroe still glows brightly in the Hollywood firmament.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026
On my final morning Puistokahvila Makia glows gold against a blue commute.
From Salon ● Mar. 8, 2026
The alarm clock next to my bed glows red with the time: 4:47 a.m.
From "Amina's Voice" by Hena Khan
In some locations, the sky glowed brightly enough for people to read newspapers at night.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 21, 2026
September's full Moon glowed across the UK sky on Saturday and many people seemed to have perfect conditions for viewing it.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
Through the cockpit, the city glowed on the horizon, a strip of twinkling lights severing the night sky from the dark Potomac river.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 14, 2026
Like the store’s sign, the sky glowed Big Orange, hex code #F96302, or Pantone 165 C, available in the paint department inside.
From Slate ● Jan. 27, 2026
In the firelight, the vessels glinted and glowed, splashing the hollow in jeweled hues.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
Released in March, the album went straight to the top of the UK charts and won glowing reviews from critics.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
For this bookstore is also concealing a speakeasy of sorts, a secluded cafe and bar with multiple themed spaces and a two-story tree with glowing books growing out of its branches.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
The lighting is gauzy and romantic, like the Instagram filter I use to blur out my eye bags, and Marianne’s hair, long and tangled, cascades behind her, her radiant skin nearly glowing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Against this shimmering backdrop, the bright yellow branches appeared to rise from the seafloor like glowing trees surrounded by stars.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026
The blur lands in Nyame’s hand, revealing Asase’s akrafena, glowing and humming with power.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
