glide
glahy-d
/ɡlaɪd/
To move smoothly and continuously along a surface with little friction.
Implies an effortless, graceful motion, often after an initial push.
The story behind the word. From the Old English 'glīdan,' this word has always described a smooth, slipping motion. It is a cousin to the German 'gleiten' and evokes the image of a bird or a skater moving without apparent effort.
Word relationships
- slide: Slide is more general and can imply a lack of control, whereas glide implies grace.
- coast: Coast implies moving by momentum without power, often on wheels or downhill.
- stumble: To move clumsily or trip, the opposite of a smooth glide.
Commonly confused with
- slide: Gliding is usually intentional and smooth; sliding can be accidental and friction-heavy.
Word family
- glide (noun): A smooth, sliding movement.
- glider (noun): An aircraft or person that glides.
- gliding (adjective): Moving in a smooth, continuous way.
Collocations
- glide effortlessly
- glide across
- smooth glide
Example sentences
- "The skaters glide across the ice with effortless grace, making the difficult jumps look easy." Describing the grace of a figure skater.
- "To glide upon the ice, and to be able to stop oneself at will, is the first lesson of the beginner." A historical manual on ice skating.
Memory hook
Think of a 'Glide' stick of deodorant—it moves smoothly across your skin. Glide = Graceful Slide.
When not to use
Do not use for jerky or forced movements.
Fun facts
- In aviation, a 'glide ratio' measures how far a plane can fly for every foot it drops in altitude.
- The word 'glider' was originally used for people who skated before it was used for aircraft.
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