Showing results for "staring"

• present participle of stare.

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

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Etymology

Origin of staring

star(e) ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. )

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Explanation

Staring — an open-eyed look of interest or amazement — is most often used as a verb but can also be an adjective. The man asked what you were staring at and his staring eyes seemed to look right through you. The word staring comes from the root word stare, a fixed gaze. Its early meaning was "to be rigid," or "to stiffen," and later became "to look fixedly at." Staring is often rude, unless the person you are staring at is putting on a performance. Staring at the sun is not a good idea, since it can damage your eyes. When an answer is "staring you in the face," it should be obvious.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

staring

He writes about mountaineering as a spiritual practice, good for the mind and body alike, while questioning why some find that clarity only by staring death in the face.

From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2026

From your prone position, you use a joy stick to move forward, back or down while staring into a large screen featuring real footage of the interior of the ISS taken by astronaut Scott Kelly.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

The real problem with smartphone use may not be how many hours people spend staring at their screens.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026

You didn’t need nine hours of talk radio to absorb it: These Patriots were overrated, these Patriots were regressing, these Patriots were staring at a season they could be worse than the freaking Jets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

He lay on his back, staring up at the dried mushrooms strung across his ceiling.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

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