glide

/ɡlaɪd/
noun
  1. A smooth, quiet movement without effort.
    • With one long glide, the hockey player shot the puck into the goal.
    • The dancer's glide across the stage was breathtaking.
    • The boat moved with a gentle glide over the calm water.
  2. A flight without engine power, using air currents.
    • During the glide, the pilot looked for a safe place to land.
    • The hang glider enjoyed a long glide from the cliff to the valley below.
    • The bird's glide lasted several minutes before it flapped its wings again.
  3. In phonetics, a speech sound that is like a vowel but functions as a consonant (e.g., 'y' in 'yes' or 'w' in 'wet').
    • Linguists study how glides connect vowels and consonants in speech.
    • The 'w' in 'water' is an example of a glide.
    • In the word 'yes,' the 'y' is a glide sound.
verb
  1. To move smoothly and quietly, with little effort or noise.
    • The swan glided across the lake without making a sound.
    • The skateboarder glided down the ramp effortlessly.
    • She glided through the crowded room, greeting everyone with a smile.
  2. To fly without engine power, using air currents (of an aircraft or bird).
    • After the engine failed, the pilot managed to glide the plane to a safe landing.
    • The eagle glided high above the mountains, searching for prey.
    • Hang gliders glide for miles using thermal updrafts.
  3. To move or change gradually and smoothly from one state to another.
    • The music glided from a soft melody into a powerful chorus.
    • As the sun set, the sky glided from orange to deep purple.
    • The conversation glided easily from work topics to weekend plans.
Antonyms