gaze

American  

[geyz] / geɪz /

verb (used without object)

• gazes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• gazed,
  past participle,  past
• gazing
  present participle

1. to look steadily and intently, as with great curiosity, interest, pleasure, or wonder.

---

noun

• gazes
  plural

1. a steady or intent look.

2. Heraldry. at gaze, (of a deer or deerlike animal) represented as seen from the side with the head looking toward the spectator.

   a stag at gaze.

gaze British  

/ ɡeɪz /

verb

1. (intr) to look long and fixedly, esp in wonder or admiration

---

noun

1. a fixed look; stare

Synonym Usage

Gaze, stare, gape suggest looking fixedly at something. To gaze is to look steadily and intently at something, especially at that which excites admiration, curiosity, or interest: to gaze at scenery, at a scientific experiment. To stare is to gaze with eyes wide open, as from surprise, wonder, alarm, stupidity, or impertinence: to stare unbelievingly or rudely. Gape is a word with uncomplimentary connotations; it suggests open-mouthed, often ignorant or rustic wonderment or curiosity: to gape at a tall building or a circus parade.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• gazer
  noun
• outgaze
  verb (used with object)
• gazeless
  adjective
• ungazing
  adjective
• gazingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• gazes
  plural

Participles

• gazing
  present
• gazed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• gaze
  simple
• gazes
  simple
• have gazed
  perfect
• has gazed
  perfect
• am gazing
  progressive
• are gazing
  progressive
• is gazing
  progressive
• have been gazing
  perfect progressive
• has been gazing
  perfect progressive

Past

• gazed
  simple
• had gazed
  perfect
• was gazing
  progressive
• were gazing
  progressive
• had been gazing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will gaze
  simple
• will have gazed
  perfect
• will be gazing
  progressive
• will have been gazing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of gaze

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English gasen; compare Norwegian, Swedish (dialect) gasa “to look”

Explanation

When someone lays eyes on you and keeps looking, it is a gaze or a stare. You can gaze back or just say, "Take a picture; it lasts longer." Gaze is both a verb and a noun. When people daydream, they often gaze off into the distance without focusing on anything. Another type of gaze, though, is to look very intently at something, as when you gaze at the sky making pictures out of clouds. A contest to see who will blink first means taking a long gaze into someone's eyes, and this type of gaze (the noun) will leave your eyes in a bit of a haze when you're done.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gaze gazes gazed gazing

She conjures a bewitching onscreen presence that many of her contemporaries could only dream of, pulling the viewer’s gaze with a single glare from her steely eyes or the quiver of her chin.

From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026

While I was visiting Cindy a few days later, a young cardinal alighted at the feeder and met our gaze.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

While some gaze into the darkness of the Florida Strait, others try to sleep, making the most of the breeze coming in from the sea.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

I had to see Fanning in a half-dozen better roles before she felt free of Refn’s smothering gaze.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

She jiggles her phone from side to side, her hopeful gaze sliding back and forth between us.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

On a boat off the coast of California, Sara Lesser gazes wistfully at dozens of dolphins playing in the vessel's wake.

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026

In a dream she gazes out from eyes like “great transparent marbles.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026

I mean an actor who gazes at their scene partner with such delight that we swoon, too.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 5, 2026

A damselfly gazes through a hole in a vibrant green leaf, offering a rare glimpse into its delicate world in Sundarganj, Bangladesh.

From BBC ● Feb. 21, 2025

The doctor gazes upon it for a moment and then climbs up, clutching his black bag primly in front of him.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

Shouts of joy and applause broke out as hundreds of people gathered in a heat-scorched field gazed at the sky at the moment darkness fell.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

Kaur appeared visibly upset in the dock as the verdict was read out, while Digwa showed little emotion and gazed out into the courtroom.

From BBC ● May 28, 2026

When he gazed at the camera as Pennywise the clown, the resulting alert conveyed no concern about the menacing visage.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 2026

Thirty-five-year-old Javier Silva gazed longingly at a Yamaha parked on the street.

From Salon ● Feb. 15, 2026

She gazed across the magnificent plaza that led to the palace gate.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

“I’m a regular person, like you,” Hal says, gazing directly through the fourth wall at the tiny people he assumes are worshipping him from afar.

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026

Previously, newspapers have given away free pairs for major events and school children have been pictured gazing up at the Sun wearing them.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

"And just like with any miracle... you just can't forget about it, because it's simply impossible to forget," he added, gazing up at the Virgin.

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026

The shot of the battered Big Baby, one eyelid drooping, sitting on a swing gazing at the full moon, is far more chilling than anything in the “M3GAN” movies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026

“I’ll get the ball,” Ana says when she sees me gazing at the hoop, which is lower than the ones at school.

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko