glide
gb/ɡlˈaɪd/ us/ɡlˈaɪd/
B2
English
~ 9600
siklik, vitorlázik, siklórepül, simán veszi, könnyedén jut, siklás, siklórepülés, félhangzó, siklóhang, átcsúszik, glisszandózik
VERB
B2
1
siklik
B1
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] glides [somewhere]
The dancer seemed to glide across the stage without touching the ground.
A táncosnő úgy tűnt, mintha a földet sem érintve siklana át a színpadon.
We watched the swans glide silently across the lake.
Néztük, ahogy a hattyúk hangtalanul siklanak át a tavon.
A small boat glided past us in the fog.
Skaters glided around the rink to soft music.
Clouds glided slowly across the bright morning sky.
Learner examples
The girl glided across the ice.
A lány végigsiklott a jégen.
I saw a bird glide over the trees.
Láttam egy madarat a fák fölött siklani.
The boat glided across the calm water.
He glided past me without a sound.
White clouds glided across the blue sky.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "glide" when they mean "slide" in everyday physical situations like playgrounds (e.g., "glide down the slide"). In many casual contexts, "slide" is more natural, while "glide" often suggests special smoothness or grace (dancers, birds, skaters).
Meaning
Move smoothly and quietly
Collocations
glide across the floor
|glide along the water
|glide through the air
|glide past [someone]
|glide effortlessly
|glide gracefully
Synonyms
slide (Emphasizes moving over a surface; can suggest less grace or more friction than "glide".)
|
sail (Often suggests smooth, sometimes fast movement through air or water, with a slightly more dramatic tone.)
Antonyms
stumble (Highlights rough, unsteady, and noisy movement, the opposite of smooth gliding.)
|
jerk (Indicates a sudden, sharp movement rather than a continuous, smooth one.)
Themes
movement
|daily life
|sports
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Definition
To move in a smooth and quiet way, with little effort.
To move smoothly, quietly, and steadily, often over a surface or through the air, with little apparent effort or resistance.
VERB
C1
2
vitorlázik
B2
siklórepül
C1
Usage pattern:
[aircraft/bird] glides [down/to a place]
The pilot shut off the engine and let the plane glide toward the runway.
A pilóta leállította a motort, és hagyta, hogy a gép siklásban közeledjen a kifutópályához.
We watched an eagle glide in wide circles above the valley.
Néztük, ahogy egy sas széles körökben vitorlázik a völgy fölött.
After the engine failed, the glider continued to glide safely to the field below.
Seagulls glided effortlessly on the sea breeze.
The paraglider glided down to the beach in a long, gentle arc.
Learner examples
The bird spread its wings and glided down.
A madár kitárta a szárnyait, és lefelé siklani kezdett.
The small plane glided to a safe landing.
A kisrepülőgép siklásban biztonságosan leszállt.
Gliders can glide for a long time without engines.
An eagle glided high in the sky.
The pilot glided the plane to the airport.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse "glide" with "soar" and use them interchangeably. "Glide" often suggests a smooth downward or forward movement without power, while "soar" more often suggests staying high or going up on air currents.
Meaning
Fly without engine power
Collocations
glide down to a landing
|glide to the ground
|glide silently overhead
|glide on rising air
|glide toward the runway
|glide in for landing
Synonyms
soar (Often suggests rising and staying high on air currents, not just descending, and can sound more majestic.)
Antonyms
stall (In aviation, means to lose lift and drop instead of maintaining a smooth, controlled glide.)
Themes
transport
|nature
|science
|transportation
|travel
Definition
For a plane or bird, to fly without using power, moving down slowly and smoothly through the air.
Of an aircraft or bird, to fly smoothly without engine power by using gravity and air currents, usually in a controlled descent.
C1
3
simán veszi
B2
Usage pattern:
[someone] glides through/into [something]
Unlike her brothers, she seemed to glide through school without ever having to study much.
A bátyjaival ellentétben úgy tűnt, mintha különösebb tanulás nélkül simán venné az iskolát.
He glided into the top position at the company thanks to his family connections.
Családi kapcsolatai révén könnyedén jutott a cégnél a legfelső pozícióba.
Some people glide through life, while others have to fight for every step.
She glided through the interview and got an offer the next day.
With years of practice, he now glides through tasks that once felt impossible.
Learner examples
She glided through the test with no problems.
Minden gond nélkül simán vette a tesztet.
He glided into the new job very easily.
Nagyon könnyen belerázódott az új munkába.
Some students glide through school without working hard.
They glided through the meeting and agreed quickly.
The team glided into the final round.
Common mistake:
Learners may think this sense is always physical movement. When used with words like "through the exam" or "into a job", it is figurative and means "very easily", not literal motion.
Meaning
Succeed or progress very easily
Collocations
glide through life
|glide through the exam
|glide into a new job
|glide effortlessly into [a role]
|glide through the process
Synonyms
sail through (A more informal and very common phrase meaning to succeed very easily, often more colloquial than "glide".)
|
cruise (Informal; often used for winning or passing something with little effort, particularly in sports or tests.)
Antonyms
struggle (Focuses on difficulty and effort, directly opposite to the ease suggested by "glide" in this sense.)
Themes
work
|education
|life
|core_vocabulary
|business
Definition
To pass or succeed at something in a way that seems very easy.
To do, achieve, or move into something very easily and with little effort, difficulty, or resistance.
NOUN
B2
4
siklás
B1
Usage pattern:
to move with a [adjective] glide
The skater's final glide brought her to a perfect stop in the center of the rink.
A korcsolyázó utolsó siklása a pálya közepén tökéletes megállással ért véget.
With one long glide, the kayak reached the shore.
Egyetlen hosszú siklással a kajak elérte a partot.
We watched the quiet glide of the owl across the dark field.
The dancer finished the routine with a slow, controlled glide.
The boat moved in a gentle glide across the glassy lake.
Learner examples
The bird crossed the sky in a smooth glide.
A madár sima siklással szelte át az eget.
Her last glide on the ice was very beautiful.
Az utolsó siklása a jégen nagyon szép volt.
The plane's glide to the ground was calm.
The boat moved in a slow glide over the water.
He stopped after one long glide on his skates.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes treat "a glide" as a very common everyday noun like "a walk"; in modern English, it is less frequent and often used in more descriptive or literary contexts, especially for birds, planes, or skaters.
Meaning
Smooth, continuous movement
Collocations
with a smooth glide
|in one long glide
|the graceful glide of the skater
|the plane's gentle glide
|a slow, steady glide
Synonyms
slide (Can refer to a smooth movement but is more general and less likely to suggest grace or beauty than "glide".)
|
sweep (Sometimes used for broad, smooth movements, but often suggests a wider motion than "glide".)
Antonyms
jolt (A sudden, rough movement, contrasting with the smoothness of a glide.)
Themes
movement
|sports
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Definition
A movement that is very smooth and easy, without stops or rough changes.
A smooth, continuous, and often graceful movement, especially over a surface or through the air, with little resistance.
NOUN
C1
5
siklórepülés
C1
siklás
B2
Usage pattern:
in a long/steep/shallow glide
The pilot turned off the engine and began a long, silent glide toward the airfield.
A pilóta leállította a motort, és hosszú, csendes siklórepülésbe kezdett a repülőtér felé.
In a shallow glide, the aircraft slowly lost height over several miles.
Enyhe siklásban a repülőgép több mérföldön át lassan veszített a magasságából.
After the engine failure, the crew calculated they had only a few minutes of glide left.
The bird caught a rising current of air and turned its dive into a long, steady glide.
The landing was so smooth it felt like one continuous glide.
Learner examples
The plane started a gentle glide to the airport.
A repülőgép enyhe siklásba kezdett a repülőtér felé.
The bird stayed in the air in a long glide.
A madár hosszú siklással maradt a levegőben.
They practiced a safe glide without the engine.
The final glide to the ground was very smooth.
The pilot said the glide would take two minutes.
Meaning
Unpowered flight or descent
Collocations
in a long glide
|a gentle glide to the runway
|a controlled glide
|the plane's final glide
|enter a shallow glide
Synonyms
descent (More general for going down; does not necessarily imply the smooth, unpowered quality of a glide.)
Antonyms
climb (In aviation, refers to gaining altitude, the opposite direction of most glides.)
Themes
transport
|science
|transportation
|travel
|nature
Definition
A time when a plane or bird moves through the air without using power, going down slowly and smoothly.
A period of flight, especially of an aircraft or bird, in which it moves without engine power, usually descending smoothly using air currents.
NOUN
C2
TECHNICAL
6
Usage pattern:
a [adjective] glide
In English, the sounds /j/ and /w/ are typically analyzed as glides.
Az angolban a /j/ és /w/ hangokat rendszerint félhangzóként elemzik.
The teacher explained that the word begins with a palatal glide, not a vowel.
A tanár elmagyarázta, hogy a szó elején palatális siklóhang áll, nem magánhangzó.
Some dialects insert a glide between these two vowels.
The linguist described the transition as a vowel followed by a glide.
In this language, the labio-velar glide contrasts with the simple vowel /u/.
Learner examples
The sound /j/ in "yes" is called a glide.
A „yes” szó /j/ hangját félhangzónak nevezik.
Your teacher may say that /w/ is a glide sound.
A tanárod mondhatja azt, hogy a /w/ egy félhangzó.
A glide moves quickly from one vowel place to another.
Some words have a glide between two vowels.
In phonetics class, we learned about glides and vowels.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse the everyday verb "glide" with the technical noun "glide" in phonetics. In this technical use, "glide" is a kind of speech sound, not a type of physical movement.
Meaning
Glide sound or semivowel
Collocations
palatal glide
|labio-velar glide
|vowel glide
|approximant glide
|glide consonant
Synonyms
semivowel (A near-technical synonym; widely used as the standard term in linguistics alongside "glide".)
Antonyms
stop (In phonetics, a consonant made by completely stopping airflow, opposed to the smooth, continuous movement in a glide.)
Themes
language
|linguistics
|science
|education
|communication
Definition
In pronunciation, a sound like /j/ or /w/ where the mouth moves quickly between vowel positions, and the sound does not make its own full syllable.
In phonetics, a consonant-like speech sound in which the tongue moves quickly from one vowel position to another without forming a separate syllable, such as the sounds /j/ and /w/ in English.
VERB
C2
7
átcsúszik
C1
Usage pattern:
[voice/sound] glides from [sound] to [sound]
Her voice glided smoothly from the low note to the high one.
A hangja simán átcsúszott a mély hangról a magasra.
The melody glides gently between the two chords.
A dallam finoman siklik a két akkord között.
In this exercise, you should glide from one vowel to the next without a break.
The singer glides down in pitch at the end of each phrase.
As he spoke, his intonation glided up and down the scale.
Learner examples
The singer glides from low notes to high notes.
Az énekes a mély hangokról a magasakra csúszik át.
Try to glide from one vowel to the next.
Próbálj átcsúszni egyik magánhangzóról a másikra.
His voice glides down at the end of the song.
The sound glides slowly between two notes.
In this song, the notes glide instead of jumping.
Common mistake:
Learners may treat this like the basic movement meaning and expect a physical subject (a person or object). In this sense, the subject is usually a voice, sound, or melody.
Meaning
Move between sounds or pitches
Collocations
glide from one note to another
|glide between vowels
|glide up the scale
|glide down in pitch
|the melody glides gently
Synonyms
slide (Very close in meaning for music and sound; "slide" is more common, especially in casual contexts.)
Antonyms
jump (For pitch or sound, suggests a sudden change rather than a continuous glide.)
Themes
music
|language
|arts_entertainment
|communication
Definition
To change from one note or speech sound to another in a smooth way, without stopping in the middle.
To move smoothly and continuously from one musical pitch or speech sound to another without a clear break between them.
Grammar
Dictionary form
glide
IPA
GB/ɡlˈaɪd/
US/ɡlˈaɪd/
Syllables & stress
glide (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (glide)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: glide
- Plural: glides
Verb
- Base: glide
- 3rd Person Singular: glides
- Present Participle: gliding
- Past: glided
Word family
Forms
glides
noun
gliding
verb
glided
verb
Core family
glider
noun
Expressions
glide over
1/ɡlˈaɪd ˈoʊvɚ/
phrasal verb
Ignore or treat something lightly
To talk about or deal with something in a quick or light way, without looking at the hard or important parts.
Examples
- The report glides over the most serious problems.
- He glided over the details and focused on the big picture.
- We can't just glide over these mistakes; we need to fix them.
glide path
1/ɡlˈaɪd pˈæθ/
fixed phrase
technical
Planned descent route for landing
The line or path that a plane follows as it goes down to land; sometimes used to mean a planned, smooth way to reach a goal.
Examples
- The pilots followed the correct glide path to the runway.
- Air traffic control warned that the aircraft was below the glide path.
- The company is on a clear glide path to profitability.
glide through
1/ɡlˈaɪd θɹˈu/
phrasal verb
Do or experience something easily
To do something, like an exam or process, in a way that seems very easy and without problems.
Examples
- She glided through her driving test on the first try.
- With his experience, he should glide through the interview.
- Some students just glide through school without much effort.