at first glance

ADJECTIVE

extemporaneous/extemporary

Synonyms

WEAK

ad hoc ad lib automatic by ear casual expedient extempore free immediate impromptu improv improvisatory improviso informal jamming made-up makeshift off the cuff off the top of head offhand on impulse on-the-spot snap spontaneous spur-of-the-moment taking for ride thought out loud tossed off tossed out unplanned unpremeditated unprepared unstudied winging it

Antonyms

WEAK

planned prepared read rehearsed written

ADVERB

superficially

Synonyms

STRONGEST

outwardly

WEAK

apparently carelessly casually externally extraneously flimsily frivolously hastily ignorantly not profoundly not thoroughly on the surface once over lightly ostensibly partially skim to the casual eye

Antonyms

WEAK

carefully deeply thoroughly

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

From his gray hair to limping stride, Jackson’s Robin is so battered by decades of violence and outdoor camping that, at first glance, I thought his bare feet were a pair of alligator boots.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2026

Few roles look more ripe for extinction at first glance.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 13, 2026

Yes, that’s the same designation given to Ebola-stricken countries, which seems strange at first glance.

From Salon • May 20, 2026

The latest exuberance in equities did not reflect as broad and generous a market bounce as it might appear at first glance.

From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026

Taran saw a creature which, at first glance, looked like a bundle of sticks with cobwebs floating at the top.

From "The Black Cauldron" by Lloyd Alexander

at first glance

Example Sentences

Related Words