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

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

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

Historically, candidates focused on policies like down-payment assistance that can make buying a house more affordable, but today, more 20- and 30-somethings are staring down at years or even decades of renting.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026

"I was crying. People were staring," she said.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

Yes, almost everyone was staring at screens, but almost no one was looking at their phone.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

Francey Mallon, my sister Maggie’s beau, was sitting on a stone wall, his face dark with anger, staring at Devlin the agent.

From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff