Slang dictionary
Gen Z stare
[ jen zee stair ]
What does Gen Z stare mean?
If you’ve ever tried small talk with your local twentysomething barista — “Crazy weather today, huh?” — and been met with a blank, expressionless look in return, you’ve experienced the Gen Z stare.
The Gen Z stare describes a vacant look that Zoomers are said to give people when it seems like a response is warranted. It tends to be used in customer service settings, whether Gen Z is behind the counter as a worker or in front of it as a customer.
The term reflects generational differences in communication, with each age group interpreting Gen Z stare in its own way.
Where does Gen Z stare come from?
Some sources trace Gen Z stare back to a July 2024 TikTok by @meghan.alessi. But, like most internet slang, its true origins are a little fuzzy. What we do know is the term spread widely on social media in summer 2025.
Experts theorize that isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic, such as attending school virtually, contributed to the pervasiveness of the Gen Z stare. But others note that the blank stare isn’t unique to Gen Z at all and has long been a hallmark of youth. For example, John Hughes’ 1980s film The Breakfast Club depicts the bored teen look.
Examples of Gen Z stare
Who uses Gen Z stare?
Gen Z stare has mostly been used by older generations, such as Millennials, on social media to criticize Zoomers. However, Gen Z has also reclaimed the phrase in their quest to “not be cringe.” If you ask a Zoomer, there’s a good reason it looks like they’re buffering in front of you: You’ve just said something they think is boring or stupid.
Note
This is not meant to be a formal definition of Gen Z stare like most terms we define on Dictionary.com, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of Gen Z stare that will help our users expand their word mastery.
