a glaring error — obvious/very noticeable mistake
collocationC1IELTS 7+neutraloccasional
A mistake that is extremely obvious and hard to ignore, often causing embarrassment or attracting criticism.
Say it like a native
Textbook There was a highly conspicuous and obvious mistake in the report.
Native There was a glaring error in the report.
'Glaring' packs 'impossible-to-miss' into one word; the long version is redundant.
Pattern: a glaring error (in/of something)
In use
- There was a glaring error in the report that everyone noticed immediately.study
- If you make a glaring error in your exam, such as writing the wrong date, it can affect your overall score.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ It was a glance error.
✓ It was a glaring error.
It's 'glaring' (from glare = shine harshly), not 'glance'.
Common collocations
a glaring error— spot, contain, obvious, in the report
Don't confuse it
Unlike 'a minor error' (small, easy to overlook) or 'a serious error' (important, but not necessarily obvious), 'a glaring error' emphasizes how visible and hard to miss the mistake is.