Cool MateGlance vs Look across the street
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Glance
Top 2,000 (common)C1verb
Look across the street
Top 3,000 (common)
Most common: Glance
| Glance | Look across the street | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //ɡlɑːns//🇺🇸 //ɡlæns// | 🇬🇧 //lʊk əˈkrɔːs ðə striːt//🇺🇸 //lʊk əˈkrɔs ðə strit// |
| Meaning | To quickly look at something. | To see something on the other side of the street. |
| Example | I took a quick glance at the report. | He looked across the street and saw a dog waiting for its owner. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 3,000 (common) |
| CEFR level | C1 | - |
| Part of speech | verb | |
| Collocations | glance at, glance over, quick glance | look across the street, look across the road, look across at someone |
| Antonyms | stare, gaze | - |
| Common mistakes | Confused with 'stare' – 'glance' is brief, while 'stare' is prolonged., Using 'glance' as a noun incorrectly – it should be a verb., Saying 'glance at that' instead of 'glance at those' when plural. | Confused about using 'look across' without an object., Omitting 'the' in 'look across street'. |
| Usage notes | Use 'glance' in a neutral context where a quick look is appropriate. Avoid informal settings, but it is suitable for both written and spoken English. | Use 'look across the street' when directing someone to observe something on the opposite side. It's commonly used in casual and formal contexts. |
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Frequently asked questions: Glance vs Look across the street
What's the difference between Glance and Look across the street?
Glance: To quickly look at something. Look across the street: To see something on the other side of the street.
Which is more common: Glance and Look across the street?
Glance is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Glance: I took a quick glance at the report. Look across the street: He looked across the street and saw a dog waiting for its owner.
Can I use Glance and Look across the street interchangeably?
Not always. Glance and Look across the street are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.