stargaze
Americanverb (used without object)
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to gaze at or observe the stars.
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to daydream.
verb
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to observe the stars
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to daydream
Usage
What does stargaze mean? To stargaze figuratively means to daydream, as in Staring at the whiteboard, Miguel was stargazing and didn’t hear anything the teacher said. Someone is said to be stargazing when they are staring at nothing, deep in thought. They may be staring out a window, out onto the horizon, or at something without really seeing it. Literally, to stargaze means to observe the stars. You might do this by going outside at night, away from lights, and just looking up at the stars. Some people stargaze as a hobby, meaning they track and observe patterns of the stars in the sky. They might use telescopes or binoculars or just their eyes. Stargaze is also used as an informal term for scientific research involving the solar system and outer space. By extension, sometimes astronomers, astronauts, and astrophysicists might be referred to as stargazers. Stargaze can also be used to mean to observe the stars in practicing astrology. Example: When Lauren is feeling sad and alone, she goes out to her backyard and stargazes for a bit.
Other Word Forms
- stargazer noun
- stargazing noun
Etymology
Origin of stargaze
First recorded in 1620–30; back formation from stargazer
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But that also covers snorkeling expeditions, kayaking excursions along the reef and guided stargazing quests.
Its most popular event — a full moon hike capped with yoga, a sound bath and stargazing — happens every month, timed to the moonrise, and often it draws dozens of newcomers.
From Los Angeles Times
Her computer brain was scrolling back through memories of campfires and of stargazing with Brightbill.
From Literature
County is home to stargazing spots that can provide ideal conditions.
From Los Angeles Times
The kibbutz had a local pub, but there was little else to do at night other than stargaze and listen to jackals howling in the desert.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
