glow

1 of 2

verb

glowed; glowing; glows

intransitive verb

1
a
: to shine with or as if with an intense heat
embers glowing in the darkness
b(1)
: to have a rich warm typically ruddy color
cheeks glowing with health
(2)
: flush, blush
the children glowed with excitement
2
a
: to experience a sensation of or as if of heat
glowing with rage
b
: to show exuberance or elation
glow with pride

glow

2 of 2

noun

1
: brightness or warmth of color
especially : redness
2
a
: warmth of feeling or emotion
b
: a sensation of warmth
the drug produces a sustained glow
3
a
: the state of glowing with heat and light
b
: light such as is emitted by a solid body heated to luminosity : incandescence

Examples of glow in a Sentence

Verb The coals glowed in the fireplace. The fireplace glowed with the dying coals. This toy glows in the dark. Noun We could see the glow of the lamp in the window. The town's lights cast a glow on the horizon. the rosy glow of health He felt a glow as he remembered the day they first met. Their problems were all forgotten in the glow of victory. She felt the glow from the fireplace.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Short of selling their recommendations, doctors are paid to stand very close to a particular vitamin C serum and explain why vitamin C can make your skin glow. Brennan Kilbane, Allure, 21 Mar. 2024 Thermal scopes are optical devices that measure heat radiation, which essentially causes the object to glow under infrared or thermal imaging. Amanda Oliver, Field & Stream, 21 Mar. 2024 The fireplace is glowing and the atmosphere buzzing on a recent Saturday night at this wine and low-ABV cocktail bar, which opened in December with a menu that specializes in natural wines with sophisticated food to match. Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2024 Do houseplants need to glow for more of us to see them as alive? Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 19 Mar. 2024 The glass front door opened onto an empty foyer that glowed red; past that was another door, outfitted with a speakeasy-style window the size of a mail slot, for a bouncer to peer through. Hannah Goldfield, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024 The same is true of the physical production, which glistens in the reflection of a downstage water’s edge, below a canopy of A-frames and vertical fluorescent bulbs glowing like stationary falling stars (the set is by David Zinn and Brett J. Banakis, the lighting by Ben Stanton). Naveen Kumar, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 Two miles away, the skyscrapers of the financial district light up in the night sky, windows glowing against the darkness. Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2024 The music in the telecast, with Rickey Minor’s band emanating from a glowing orb above the stage, was good throughout, even in that strange portion early in the show during which one below-the-line winner after another was getting played off early. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024
Noun
Sunless tanning products were a thing, sure, but the results were generally streaky and orange, more Ross on that one episode of Friends than a J.Lo glow. Kara Nesvig, Allure, 21 Mar. 2024 For a shade that casts a peachy glow by day and offers a warm-fuzzy neutral at night, try this shade, tastemaker Melissa Smrekar's select for the living room of her 1930s Dallas cottage. Grace Haynes, Southern Living, 20 Mar. 2024 This particular plant glows because of a cluster of five genes, some of which scientists borrowed from the bioluminescent fungus Neonothopanus nambi. Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 19 Mar. 2024 When night falls, the table will come alive with the candlelight glow. Kit Selzer, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Mar. 2024 These 9 products will help exfoliate dead skin cells to unleash that inner glow. Essence, 18 Mar. 2024 Charlize Theron is still basking in the glow of Oscars night. Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 15 Mar. 2024 In a ritual on the eve of the last Wednesday of the year, people jump over fire to cleanse the spirit from malaise of the old year and take on the glow of the flames in preparation for the new year. Farnaz Fassihi, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 More and more of us are living our lives to the tune of news podcasts and algorithmically curated Spotify playlists, and falling asleep to the soft glow of our laptop screens or the dulcet tones of Stephen Fry. Tasha Kleeman, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'glow.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English glōwan; akin to Old English geolu yellow — more at yellow

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of glow was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near glow

Cite this Entry

“Glow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glow. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

glow

1 of 2 verb
1
: to shine with or as if with great heat : give off light without flame
glowing coals
2
: to have a rich warm usually reddish color
3
: to be or look warm and flushed (as from excitement)
glow with pride

glow

2 of 2 noun
1
: brightness or warmth of color
a rosy glow of health
2
a
: warmth of feeling
b
: a feeling of physical warmth
3
: light such as that given off by something that is very hot but not flaming

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