stare

[stair]

|||

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR stare ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object), stared, star·ing.

to gaze fixedly and intently, especially with the eyes wide open.

to be boldly or obtrusively conspicuous: The bright modern painting stares out at you in the otherwise conservative gallery.

(of hair, feathers, etc.) to stand on end; bristle.

verb (used with object), stared, star·ing.

to stare at: to stare a person up and down.

to effect or have a certain effect on by staring: to stare one out of countenance.

noun

a staring gaze; a fixed look with the eyes wide open: The banker greeted him with a glassy stare.

Verb Phrases

stare down, to cause to become uncomfortable by gazing steadily at one; overcome by staring: A nonsmoker at the next table tried to stare me down.

Idioms

stare one in the face, to be urgent or impending; confront: The income-tax deadline is staring us in the face.

Origin of stare

before 900; Middle English staren, Old English starian; cognate with Dutch staren, German starren, Old Norse stara; akin to stark, starve

Related formsstar·er, nounstar·ing·ly, adverb

Synonyms for stare

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR stare ON THESAURUS.COM

1. See gaze.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for staring

peer, beam, glare, look, gawk, rubberneck, eye, fix, goggle, focus, gaze, ogle, bore, eyeball, rivet, glim

Examples from the Web for staring

Contemporary Examples of staring

Her magical ability to shrink people just by staring at them is also put to great use here.
Marvel’s ‘Agent Carter’ Stomps on the Patriarchy
Melissa Leon
January 7, 2015
This scene also proves once and for all that the key to acting is just staring at the camera really, really hard.
High-End Pervs Film Benedict Cumberbatch and Reese Witherspoon Sucking Face
Amy Zimmerman
December 11, 2014
Above the notes of praise is a small photo of Guerin wearing a polka dot tie and pocket square, staring at you like a sociopath.
The Multimillion ‘Clairvoyance by Mail’ Scam
Jacob Siegel
November 21, 2014
We nod our heads towards Pakistan and he is quiet, staring at the floor.
Heart of Darkness: Into Afghanistan’s Taliban Valley
Matt Trevithick, Daniel Seckman
November 15, 2014
Half of our music and all of our dancing is just about worshipping, praising, staring at and waxing poetic about the human ass.
Kim Kardashian Bares Her Shiny, Bounteous Butt, Breaks the Internet
Marlow Stern
November 12, 2014

Historical Examples of staring

He sat with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands, staring at the grass.
Viviette
William J. Locke
"Yes," said Dick, staring in front of him and speaking in a dull, even voice.
Viviette
William J. Locke
The man is a very confident, he is a very bold, staring man!
Clarissa, Volume 1 (of 9)
Samuel Richardson
They stood silent, she looking nowhere, and he staring now in this direction, now in that.
Weighed and Wanting
George MacDonald
The candle was in her hand, and she was staring at the letter.
K
Mary Roberts Rinehart

British Dictionary definitions for staring

stare

verb

(intr often foll by at) to look or gaze fixedly, often with hostility or rudeness

(intr) (of an animal's fur, bird's feathers, etc) to stand on end because of fear, ill health, etc

(intr) to stand out as obvious; glare

stare one in the face to be glaringly obvious or imminent

noun

the act or an instance of staring

Derived Formsstarer, noun

Word Origin for stare

Old English starian; related to Old Norse stara, Old High German starēn to stare, Greek stereos stiff, Latin consternāre to confuse

stare

noun

dialect a starling

Word Origin for stare

Old English stær

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for staring

stare

Old English starian "to look fixedly at," from Proto-Germanic *star- "be rigid" (cf. Old Norse stara, Middle Low German and Middle Dutch staren, Old High German staren, German starren "to stare at;" German starren "to stiffen," starr "stiff;" Old Norse storr "proud;" Old High German storren "to stand out, project;" Gothic andstaurran "to be obstinate"), from PIE root *ster- "strong, firm, stiff, rigid" (cf. Lithuanian storas "thick," stregti "to become frozen;" Sanskrit sthirah "hard, firm;" Persian suturg "strong;" Old Church Slavonic staru "old;" cf. sterile and torpor). Not originally implying rudeness. Related: Stared; staring.

stare

"starling," from Old English (see starling).