Stare: Definition, Usage & Examples Explained

Meaning 1：look fixedly (stare)

stare 🔊

/steə(r)/ (UK), /ster/ (US)

vi.

to look at something for a long time, without moving your eyes much

Stare definition illustrated by a child staring intently at a goldfish in a bowl

look fixedly 🔊

➕

/lʊk ˈfɪks.ɪd.li/

vi.

To direct and hold one's gaze steadily at something or someone, often due to curiosity, fascination, surprise, or rudeness.

📁 Category：Social Roles, Behaviors & Actions 🔖 Level：Beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Old English *starian* (to stare). Related to Old High German *starēn* (to stare).

💡 Mnemonic

Think of a STAR that is so bright and fascinating, you can't help but STARE at it for a long time.

📖 Example

The child stared at the goldfish in the bowl, completely fascinated by its movement. 🔊 The child looked fixedly at the goldfish in the bowl, completely fascinated by its movement.

🔗 Collocations

stare at – To look fixedly in the direction of someone or something.

stare into space – To look vacantly ahead without focusing on anything in particular.

stare someone down – To outlast another person in a staring contest or to defeat someone by maintaining a fixed gaze.

🔄 Synonyms

gaze (v./n.) – To look steadily and intently, often with admiration or wonder.

peer (v.) – To look keenly or with difficulty at something, often by narrowing the eyes.

ogle (v.) – To stare at in an amorous, flirtatious, or lecherous manner.

🚫 Antonyms

glance (v./n.) – To take a brief or hurried look.

🌱 Derivatives

staring (adj.) – Describing a fixed, intense, or glaring look.

stare-down (n.) – A confrontation in which each party tries to outstare the other.

📖 Cultural Story

The verb 'stare' originates from the Old English *starian*, meaning 'to look fixedly.' Its core sense of a fixed gaze has remained stable through centuries of English usage. In modern culture, a 'staring contest' is a common game testing endurance of eye contact.