gloss over

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

gloss over verb (tr, adverb)

1. to hide under a deceptively attractive surface or appearance
2. to deal with (unpleasant facts) rapidly and cursorily, or to omit them altogether from an account of something

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

gloss¹ /glɑs, glɔs/   n. [uncountable]

1. a luster or shine on the surface of something;
   glaze:
   the gloss of satin.
2. a falsely good appearance.
3. Clothing a cosmetic that adds sheen or luster, esp. lip gloss

v. [~ + object]

4. to put a gloss on:
   glossed her lips.
5. gloss over, to give a falsely good appearance to:
   to gloss over someone's mistakes.

gloss² /glɑs, glɔs/   n. [countable]

1. an explanation or translation, by means of a note in the margin of a text.

v. [~ + object]

2. to insert glosses on.

See -glot-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

gloss¹  (glos, glôs), n. 

1. a superficial luster or shine;
   glaze:
   the gloss of satin.
2. a false or deceptively good appearance.
3. Also, glosser. a cosmetic that adds sheen or luster, esp. one for the lips.

v.t. 

4. to put a gloss upon.
5. to give a false or deceptively good appearance to:
   to gloss over flaws in the woodwork.

• probably akin to Dutch gloos glowing, Middle High German glosen to glow, shine, Swedish dialect, dialectal glysa to shine 1530–40

gloss′less, adj. 
Synonyms

• 1. See polish. 
• 2. front, pretense.

gloss²  (glos, glôs), n. 

1. an explanation or translation, by means of a marginal or interlinear note, of a technical or unusual expression in a manuscript text.
2. a series of verbal interpretations of a text.
3. a glossary.
4. an artfully misleading interpretation.

v.t. 

5. to insert glosses on;
   annotate.
6. to place (a word) in a gloss.
7. to give a specious interpretation of;
   explain away (often fol. by over or away):
   to gloss over a serious problem with a pat solution.

v.i. 

8. to make glosses.

• Medieval Latin glōssāre, derivative of glōsa; compare gloze, reflecting Old French pronunciation, pronounced of verb
• Greek glôssa word requiring explanation, literally, language, tongue; (verb, verbal) Middle English glosen
• Medieval Latin glōsa, glōza
• Old French glose)
• (noun, nominal) Middle English glose (1250–1300

gloss′ing•ly, adv. 
Synonyms

• 1. comment, annotation.
• 2. commentary, critique, exegesis, explication.
• 5. explain, interpret, analyze, explicate.

gloss-, 

1. var. of glosso- before a vowel:
   glossectomy.

gloss., 

1. glossary.