glow

B2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ɡloʊ/ UK /ɡləʊ/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like grow /l/ vs /r/

Freq #7113

Meanings

1

verb
To give off a soft, steady light without flames.

The fireflies were glowing in the dark garden.
2

verb
To give off heat and light, often without a flame.

The coals were still glowing after several hours.
3

verb
To have warm, healthy or happy colour in your face.

Our faces glowed when we came out of the sauna.
4

noun
A soft, steady light, or a warm feeling.

She felt a warm glow of pride at her son's success.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 verb · to give off heat and light,... burn

3 verb · to have warm, healthy or... radiate

Word family

Forms glowedglowingglows

Derived forms afterglow aglowairglowaspenglowcandleglowcounterglowday-glodayglowelectroglowevenglowforeglowglew

Related forms gleedglowie

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

twilight glow
the soft light visible in the sky around dusk

Noun + noun

Tongue twisters (1)

See all

A Glowing Gleam
A glowing gleam glowing green.

Switch between /ɡl/ in glowing and gleam and /ɡɹ/ in green. Keep each cluster together without an extra vowel after /ɡ/.

Etymology

The verb is derived from Middle English glouen, glowen (“to give off heat and light without flame; of a thing: to be heated until red hot; to be brightly coloured; to shine brightly; (figurative) to be filled with emotion; of the face, etc.: to turn red, flush; etc.”), and then either: * from Old English glōwan (“to glow”) (a strong verb), from Proto-West Germanic *glōan (“to glow”); or * because the Middle English and modern English words are weak verbs, possibly from Old Norse *glówa, thought to be a variant of glóa (“to glow”), also a weak verb; both from Proto-Germanic *glōaną (“to glow”),…

*ǵʰleh₁- Proto-Indo-European glouen Middle English glōwan Old English *glōan Proto-West Germanic *glówa Old Norse *glōaną Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# glow

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /ɡloʊ/
**IPA (UK):** /ɡləʊ/
**Frequency rank:** 7113

## Meanings
1. To give off a soft, steady light without flames.
2. To give off heat and light, often without a flame.
3. To have warm, healthy or happy colour in your face.
4. A soft, steady light, or a warm feeling.

## Examples
- The fireflies were glowing in the dark garden.
- The coals were still glowing after several hours.
- Our faces glowed when we came out of the sauna.
- She felt a warm glow of pride at her son's success.

## Derived Forms
- afterglow
- aglow
- airglow
- aspenglow
- candleglow
- counterglow
- day-glo
- dayglow
- electroglow
- evenglow
- foreglow
- glew

## Related Forms
- gleed
- glowie

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *ǵʰleh₁-
- Root: glouen
- Root: glōwan
- Root: *glōan
- Root: *glówa
- Root: *glōaną

## Etymology
The verb is derived from Middle English glouen, glowen (“to give off heat and light without flame; of a thing: to be heated until red hot; to be brightly coloured; to shine brightly; (figurative) to be filled with emotion; of the face, etc.: to turn red, flush; etc.”), and then either: * from Old English glōwan (“to glow”) (a strong verb), from Proto-West Germanic *glōan (“to glow”); or * because the Middle English and modern English words are weak verbs, possibly from Old Norse *glówa, thought to be a variant of glóa (“to glow”), also a weak verb; both from Proto-Germanic *glōaną (“to glow”),…

## AI Etymology
Glow as a verb is derived from Middle English glouen, glowen (“to give off heat and light without flame; of a thing: to be heated until red hot; to be brightly coloured; to shine brightly; (figurative) to be filled with emotion; of the face, etc.: to turn red, flush; etc.”), and then either: from Old English glōwan (“to glow”) (a strong verb), from Proto-West Germanic *glōan (“to glow”); or because the Middle English and modern English words are weak verbs, possibly from Old Norse *glówa, thought to be a variant of glóa (“to glow”), also a weak verb; both from Proto-Germanic *glōaną (“to glow”). In current use, the main senses are “To give off a soft, steady light without flames” and “To give off heat and light, often without a flame”.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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