stare

[ stair ]

/ stɛər /

|||

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.

Nearby words

starch-reduced, starched, starchy, stardom, stardust, stare, stare decisis, stare down, stare in the face, stare out, starets

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

SYNONYMS FOR stare

1 See gaze.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR stare ON THESAURUS.COM

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

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

Examples from the Web for 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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST

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|DAILY BEAST
They sat all over the floor on their haunches, men and women, staring at the bed.
The Trembling of a Leaf|William Somerset Maugham
Staring back through the mahogany banisters her face looked fairly striped with astonishment.
Rainy Week|Eleanor Hallowell Abbott
He was staring down a brilliantly lighted, richly carpeted corridor.
The Adventures of Jimmie Dale|Frank L. Packard
Stonor (staring R., one dazed instant, at the face of the new arrival, his own changes).
Votes for Women|Elizabeth Robins
Surrender or starvation were staring him with ugly insistence in the face.
The Story Of Ireland|Emily Lawless

British Dictionary definitions for staring (1 of 2)

stare

/ (stɛə) /

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

British Dictionary definitions for staring (2 of 2)

stare

/ (stɛə) /

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 (1 of 2)

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.

Word Origin and History for staring (1 of 2)

stare

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

stare

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

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

noun

Verb Phrases

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of stare

Examples from the Web for staring

British Dictionary definitions for staring (1 of 2)

stare

verb

noun

Word Origin for stare

British Dictionary definitions for staring (2 of 2)

stare

noun

Word Origin for stare

Word Origin and History for staring (1 of 2)

stare

Word Origin and History for staring (1 of 2)

stare