stare

1 of 2

verb

stared; staring

intransitive verb

1
: to look fixedly often with wide-open eyes
2
: to show oneself conspicuously
the error stared from the page
3
of hair : to stand on end : bristle
also : to appear rough and lusterless

transitive verb

1
: to have an effect on by staring
2
: to look at with a searching or earnest gaze
starer noun

stare

2 of 2

noun

: the act or an instance of staring
a blank stare
Phrases
stare one in the face
: to be undeniably and forcefully evident or apparent

Examples of stare in a Sentence

Verb She stared out the window. His mother told him not to stare. Noun They looked at me with accusing stares. caught the child's wide-eyed stare on film
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Brian invites Roger to stay for dinner and spend the night after joking that his daughter Jenny has her eyes on someone else, so Roger should stop staring. Lincee Ray, EW.com, 23 Nov. 2024 Rather than intensely staring, use a series of long glances. Caroline Castrillon, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
Noun
There is a haunting stillness as the prisoners’ hollow stares meet our curious gaze. David Culver, CNN, 6 Nov. 2024 The benches and bullpens cleared during that brief altercation, as Volpe and Chisholm both waved Garcia off, and Cole gave him a death stare. Ryan Morik, Fox News, 11 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for stare 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English starian; akin to Old High German starēn to stare, Greek stereos solid, Lithuanian starinti to stiffen

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1553, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stare was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near stare

Cite this Entry

“Stare.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stare. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

stare

1 of 2 verb
ˈsta(ə)r How to pronounce stare (audio)
ˈste(ə)r
stared; staring
: to look hard and long often with wide-open eyes
stare at a stranger
starer noun

stare

2 of 2 noun
: the act or an instance of staring

More from Merriam-Webster on stare

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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