verb
stare
steh-uh
verb
1
To look at something or someone for a long time without looking away.
"He stared out the window, lost in thought."
"She caught him staring at her across the room."
noun
1
A long, fixed look.
"He gave her a blank stare when she asked the question."
How to Use Stare
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo look at something steadily and for a long time, usually without blinking or looking away.
Common mistake
Staring is generally considered rude or intense in most social contexts — "stare" implies an unbroken, often uncomfortable gaze, unlike the neutral verb "look."
Common pairings
stare into space
stare at someone
blank stare
stare down
Word Forms
stared past tense, stares plural, stares plural, stares singular
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He _____ out the window, lost in thought.
Etymology
From Old English starian ("to stare, to be fixed or rigid"), related to the word "stark" — both come from a root meaning stiff or fixed.