gawk

American  

[gawk] / gɔk /

verb (used without object)

1. to stare stupidly; gape.

   The onlookers gawked at arriving celebrities.

   Synonyms:

   rubberneck, goggle, gaze, ogle, peer

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noun

1. an awkward, foolish person.

gawk British  

/ ɡɔːk /

noun

1. a clumsy stupid person; lout

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verb

1. (intr) to stare in a stupid way; gape

Usage

Where does the word gawk come from? We've all gawked, or "stared stupidly," at various spectacles, from acrobats to celebrity meltdowns. Word nerds gawk at the origin of gawk—because it's a spectacular puzzle. Gawk is recorded in 1775–85 in American English. It's believed that gawk is based on an Old English word meaning "fool," which appears in gawk hand or gallock hand, referring to the left hand. Our apologies, lefties. An alternative idea is that gawk is based on gaw, an old word meaning "to gaze, stare," with an additional -k suffix found in other words such as talk and stalk. Stubborn isn’t alone: it finds lots of company in other English words that seem simple but whose origins are not. Discover more in our slideshow “‘Dog,’ ‘Boy,’ And Other Words That We Don’t Know Where They Came From."

Etymology

Origin of gawk

1775–85; apparently representing OE word meaning fool, equivalent to ga(gol) foolish + -oc -ock; used attributively in gawk hand, gallock hand left hand

Explanation

When you stare in amazement at something, you gawk at it. You might stand frozen in one position with your mouth and eyes wide open and gawk when you see a famous movie star on the street. The verb gawk was first recorded in American English in 1785. It may have evolved from the word gaw, which came from the Middle English word gowen, meaning "to stare." When you gawk at something, you get completely absorbed in what you're looking at. It's usually not considered polite behavior to gawk at another person, especially if it's someone you find attractive. After all, staring is rude.

Example Sentences

Half an hour later Billy the Gawk stood before the Bishop inside the gates of Bishop's Court.

From The Deemster by Caine, Hall, Sir

"Gawk," said Jake, "what will you allow me if I get Mary Ann to marry you?"

From Black Forest Village Stories by Auerbach, Berthold

"Lave it to me," said a rough voice, and Billy the Gawk stepped out.

From The Deemster by Caine, Hall, Sir

He will be glad of it, because, except his mother Maria and a few of us children, hardly any one used it; all had the impudence to say "Gawk."

From Black Forest Village Stories by Auerbach, Berthold

Ragged and well-clad, clean and dirty, and the biggest lad "rigging" the smallest, and not caring a ha'porth if his name was the name of the Deemster or the name of Billy the Gawk.

From The Deemster by Caine, Hall, Sir

Related Words

• gape
• glare
• ogle