glancing
Quick sideways look
Glancing describes something that strikes a surface at an angle rather than directly, deflecting rather than hitting square: a glancing blow.
The force is diminished because contact is oblique.
By extension, glancing can mean brief or passing: a glancing reference to the scandal, She gave him a glancing look.
Fleeting view
- peekFurtive brief look
- sidelongDirected to one side
- sidewaysToward one side
- quick lookBrief visual inspection
stolen look · side-eye · furtive · surreptitious · covert · askance · peripheral · oblique
Angled, not straightforward
- tangentialBarely connected to main point
- grazingFeeding on pasture
- skimmingPassing lightly over
- deflectedCaused to veer off
ricochet · angled · slanting · indirect · diverted · veering · askew · diagonal
Hasty and incomplete
- perfunctoryDone with minimal effort
- superficialLacking depth or substance
- passingMoving by or temporary
- fleetingPassing very quickly
quick · casual · hasty · momentary · skimming · once-over · preliminary · surface-level
glimpse
Fleeting view
stolen look · quick look · side-eye · furtive · surreptitious · covert · askance · peripheral · oblique · scanning
oblique
Angled, not straightforward
- tangentialBarely connected to main point
- grazingFeeding on pasture
- skimmingPassing lightly over
deflected · ricochet · angled · slanting · indirect · diverted · veering · askew · diagonal · rebounding
cursory
Hasty and incomplete
- perfunctoryDone with minimal effort
- superficialLacking depth or substance
- passingMoving by or temporary
fleeting · quick · casual · hasty · momentary · skimming · once-over · preliminary · surface-level · incidental
brush
Bristled cleaning tool
nick · clip · scrape · sideswipe · nudge · tap · strike · bump · impact · blow
- eye movementsgaze, blink, stare, squint, wink
- vigilancewatchfulness, vigilant, alertness, watchful, attentiveness
- viewinggazing, staring, peering, observing, peeking
- watchingwatching, viewing, observing, looking, gazing
- eye signalseye contact, gaze, staring, blinking, winking
- passive watchingwatching, viewing, observing, spectating, lurking
- glancing blowOblique, partial impact
- glancing awayRedirecting one's gaze elsewhere