stare

[ stair ]

verb (used without object)

, stared, star·ing.

1. to gaze fixedly and intently, especially with the eyes wide open.
2. to be boldly or obtrusively conspicuous:

   The bright modern painting stares out at you in the otherwise conservative gallery.

3. to be patently or compellingly obvious:

   The stark, staring fact is, you can't do something with nothing.

4. (of hair, feathers, etc.) to stick out or stand on end; bristle:

   Both male and female pheasants are rough-footed and have staring feathers around the head and neck.

verb (used with object)

, stared, star·ing.

1. to stare at:

   to stare a person up and down.

2. to effect or have a certain effect on by staring:

   They all laughed at me and stared me into silence.

noun

1. a staring gaze; a fixed look with the eyes wide open:

   The banker greeted him with a glassy stare.

verb phrase

1. to cause to become uncomfortable by gazing steadily at one; overcome by staring:

   A nonsmoker at the next table tried to stare me down.

stare

¹

/ stɛə /

noun

1. dialect.
   a starling

stare

²

/ stɛə /

verb

1. introften foll byat to look or gaze fixedly, often with hostility or rudeness
2. intr (of an animal's fur, bird's feathers, etc) to stand on end because of fear, ill health, etc
3. intr to stand out as obvious; glare
4. stare one in the face
   stare one in the face to be glaringly obvious or imminent

noun

1. the act or an instance of staring

Derived Forms

• ˈstarer, noun

Other Words From

• star·er noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of stare¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English staren, Old English starian; cognate with Dutch staren, German starren, Old Norse stara; akin to stark, starve

Word History and Origins

Origin of stare¹

Old English stær

Origin of stare²

Old English starian ; related to Old Norse stara , Old High German starēn to stare, Greek stereos stiff, Latin consternāre to confuse

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. stare (something) in the face, to confront or be confronted by (something unpleasant):

   The company is staring bankruptcy in the face.

2. stare one in the face,
   1. (especially of something undesirable) to be patently or compellingly obvious:

      Sounds like a far-fetched theory, but when the evidence is staring you in the face, you have to take notice.

   2. to be urgent or impending; be about to happen:

      The income tax deadline is staring us in the face.

3. staring down the barrel of,
   1. having (a firearm) aimed at one, especially at close range:

      He turned his head and found himself staring down the barrel of a rifle.

   2. facing (a threat, challenging situation, or imminent disaster):

      Motorists are staring down the barrel of a major hike in the price of fuel.

Synonym Study

See gaze.

Example Sentences

They couldn’t have — not with the quiet of the gym when Notre Dame players sank free throws and the bored stares in the stands when officials blew their whistles against the home team.

From Washington Post

I gave that boyfriend a long flat stare, then set my eyes on the ceiling until he knew to walk away.

From MIT Technology Review

I would ask her the difference between a small and a medium tomato and she would just give me this blank stare.

From Time

One cicada even landed on top of my muzzle and looked me in the eyes with a cold stare.

From Washington Post

"How low this Court's respect for stare decisis has sunk," Sotomayor wrote.

From Washington Post

In their midst stands a soldier with the Lebanese armed forces in a red beret, sporting an assault rifle and an unblinking stare.

From The Daily Beast

Then he's quiet, while I, nonplussed, just stare until he adds, “The camera must never move.”

From The Daily Beast

In the case of Steven Eugene Washington, nothing more than a blank stare made him a target for police bullets.

From The Daily Beast

The teen refused to drop his knife, according to officers, fixed them with “a 100-yard stare,” and walked toward them.

From The Daily Beast

“Hell yeah,” he says with a smile and a piercing, blue-eyed stare.

From The Daily Beast

Blanche sat there with her little excited, yet innocent—too innocent—stare; her eyes followed Mrs. Vivian's.

From Project Gutenberg

At the station the head porter received their inquiry for a Bradshaw with a dull stare and a shake of the head.

From Project Gutenberg

Among others, an Abb thrice lifted his fork to his mouth, and thrice laid it down, with an eager stare of surprise.

From Project Gutenberg

The poor child didn't understand why Teacher Thomas should stare so at her, and she let out one long, unending bleat.

From Project Gutenberg

Jessie forbade her chum to tell, by a hard stare and a determined shake of her head.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• beam
• gawk
• glare
• look
• peer