staring

American  

[stair-ing] / ˈstɛər ɪŋ /

adjective

1. gazing fixedly and intently, especially with the eyes wide open.

   Standing in front of Jane’s staring face, Ravi lifted the conch shell above his head and smashed it into a hundred pieces on the floor.

2. boldly, inescapably, or obnoxiously conspicuous; glaring.

   Whenever I dwell on my own shortcomings, they begin to seem mild and harmless, not at all like the staring defects in other people's characters.

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adverb

1. Chiefly British. glaringly or conspicuously; thoroughly (often preceded bystark ).

   This "borrow and spend" policy is stark staring bonkers.

Other Word Forms

• staringly adverb

Etymology

Origin of staring

star(e) ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

While I’m keeping the app option in my back pocket for later, we decided to go analog for our first budgeting rodeo by staring down our raw bank statements.

From MarketWatch

“Tell ya what,” Uncle Max added, staring out at the stretch of our property.

From Literature

“Stop staring at him and pay attention. Coach will be peeved if you don’t know the drill when we get in the pool. Keep your eye on the prize, okay?”

From Literature

Clare plucked one from the air and examined the face of the old green human staring back.

From Literature

It was like staring at someone doing an impersonation that was one part Lt.

From Los Angeles Times