v.
contemplate one's own success or another's misfortune with smugness or malignant pleasure.
n.
an act of gloating.
Derivative
- gloater n.
- gloating adj. & n.
- gloatingly adv.
Etymology
C16 (in the sense ‘give a sideways or furtive look’): of uncertain origin; perh. rel. to ON glotta ‘to grin’ and Mid. High Ger. glotzen ‘to stare’.
