1 B1 neutral
To quickly move one's eyes away from something or someone, often because of discomfort, shyness, or guilt.
"When their eyes met, she glanced away in embarrassment."
inseparable
glance away
B1 neutral inseparable intransitive
To quickly move one's eyes away from something, usually to avoid eye contact or because of discomfort.
In plain English
To look somewhere else quickly, often because you feel embarrassed or uncomfortable.
What does "glance away" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To cast a brief look in a direction away from what you were looking at — mostly transparent.
Actually means
To look somewhere else quickly, often because you feel embarrassed or uncomfortable.
Usage tip
Commonly used in narrative and descriptive writing. Often indicates an emotional response such as shyness, guilt, embarrassment, or discomfort. Less common in everyday speech than in written prose.
Words that pair with "glance away"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
quickly hurriedly shyly embarrassed screen window
How to conjugate "glance away"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
glance away
I/you/we/they
3rd person
glances away
he/she/it
Past simple
glanced away
yesterday
Past participle
glanced away
have + pp
-ing form
glancing away
continuous
Hear "glance away" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "glance away" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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