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.

---

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. )

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

Southern California is staring down its hottest week of the year yet, with temperatures expected to rival daily records in downtown Los Angeles, Long Beach, Santa Monica and Burbank, according to the National Weather Service.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026

"I opened the package, and there was a giant, 200-year-old eyeball sitting on dry ice just staring back at me," the 28-year-old says with a laugh.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026

Setting foot into a one-bedroom flat in an old mining village, you immediately become aware of dozens of pairs of eyes staring at you.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

Although GPS satellites are U.S.-owned military hardware, the reference frame relies on an international patchwork of aging radio-telescopes staring at quasars, laser-ranging stations and physical ground markers anchored to shifting tectonic plates.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

Sometimes when I see her, it feels like my mom is staring back at me.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold