to glide by

Examples

• All

• "Some seconds glided by and then she said, "Now I can't think of anything to talk about."

  Fiction book (2002)

• So life kind of glides by and somehow they always manage to find people who step into that grown up role.

  DoctorRamani

• We watch the water glide by beneath our feet as we walk, raise our arms like wings, and lean into the wind.

  Fiction book (1998)

• They watched him glide by, and such a chill descended on them that it could as well have been winter.

  Fiction book (1995)

• A tourist boat is gliding by on the Seine; its elderly passengers are applauding the young couple.

  Fiction book (1997)

• Some monks are lost in their thoughts; a few visitors gaze vacantly into space or survey the wooded ridges gliding by on our left.

  Academic text (2003)

• We'll glide by the boarded-up Ice Plant where we once drank on summer nights, feet dangling off the loading ramps.

  Fiction book (1999)

• I especially liked the sharks and never tired of leaning way over their open pen to watch them glide by (constantly, endlessly, they could not be still), knowing that they would kill me if they could.

  Fiction book (1997)

• It wasn't until several days after moving in that we realized there were two sets of tracks; the first time we saw a pair of trains gliding by simultaneously in opposing directions, we were astonished, like witnessing a magic trick.

  Fiction book (1998)

• Wills sits on the bleachers, miserably brooding, while Charlotte gracefully glides by, laughing and chatting with three young male skaters whom she's just met.

  Fiction book (2000)

Synonyms

P

to pass

vsto glide by

761 1.0

To spend time doing something

adds the idea of quick, smooth, and often unnoticed passing rather than neutral use

G

to go by

vsto glide by

268 1.0

For time to pass

is more specific about smoothness and quiet speed of passing time

S

to sail

vsto glide by

84 1.0

To move smoothly and easily through the air or over a surface

applies that smoothness specifically to time passing rather than motion

S

to slip away

vsto glide by

32 3.0

For time to pass without anyone noticing

is quicker and more fluent rather than gradual slipping away

F

to fly by

vsto glide by

23 3.3

To seem to pass very quickly, especially time

adds a smoother, gentler motion rather than only fast impression

E

to elapse

vsto glide by

19 5.1

Time passes without being noticed

is more vivid, highlighting smooth and quick unnoticed movement of time

P

to pass by

vsto glide by

17 3.0

Go past without being noticed or taken

focuses more on smooth unnoticed movement of time rather than being ignored physically

S

to slip by

vsto glide by

11 3.8

To go past quickly without anyone noticing, as with time or chances

is smoother and more effortless while also often going unnoticed

Z

to zip by

vsto glide by

• Informal

3 3.6

To pass very quickly, as when a car goes by or time moves fast

is less about raw speed and more about smooth unnoticed passing

S

to slide by

vsto glide by

2 4.2

Time passes smoothly without you noticing

is quicker and gives a stronger sense of effortless speed

W

to whisk by

vsto glide by

1 5.1

Move past someone or something very quickly and smoothly

focuses more on smooth, unnoticed passing of time than physical motion

L

to lapse

vsto glide by

1 4.0

To pass, as time between events

is more vivid and conveys a smooth, unnoticed quickness rather than neutrality

W

to whizz along

vsto glide by

• UK

1 5.1

To move very fast, often making a soft rushing sound like a car or train

keeps speed lower and emphasizes smooth, unnoticed flow rather than noise

Antonyms

L

to linger

207 3.7

To stay in a place longer than expected because you do not want to leave

D

to drag on

42 3.9

To continue longer than needed and become boring

How Fast

to fly by

23 3.3

to glide by

1 3.9

crawl

19 2.7

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology