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

But it meant that as we sat down, with oil paintings of Earl Spencer's aristocratic ancestors staring down at our TV lights, the interview was not just about his recollections of his sister.

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026

“Listen to your body” is lovely advice until you are neurodivergent, burned out, staring into the refrigerator at 8:17 p.m. or otherwise unable to locate your body’s supposedly innate wisdom about dinner.

From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2026

Israeli activists who support Palestinians shared videos showing various degrees of harassment by Hilltop Youth: standing uncomfortably close to Palestinians, staring, spitting, stopping cars and sitting on the hoods.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026

“It takes me two or three shows to get into it. At first I’m like, why are you all staring at me?”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026

They were caught in the green light, curved around my legs staring at the standing form, ears cocked and heads turned sideways while they studied it.

From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen