stared

IPA/steər/
KK[stˈɛrd]IPA/ster/

stared — verb

  • staredpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • stareds3rd person singular
  • stareding-ing form
  • starededpast simple

1. to keep your eyes wide open and direct them steadily at someone or something for

1.verbintransitiveA2
Definition

to keep your eyes wide open and direct them steadily at someone or something for quite a while, usually because you feel very surprised, scared, or are thinking deeply about something

Example

Arjun stared at the maths problem for several minutes before he understood it.

stare + at + noun phrase for a period of time

The children stared in wonder as the magician pulled a white rabbit from his hat.

stare + in + emotion (wonder / surprise / disbelief)

Common collocations
  • stare blankly
  • stare intently
  • stare hard
  • stare in disbelief
  • stare in shock
Synonyms
  • gaze

    softer and more admiring than 'stare'; implies looking steadily with interest or affection rather than surprise

  • glare

    a hostile or angry version of staring, with a sharper and more aggressive facial expression

  • peer

    suggests difficulty seeing and a need to look more carefully, not necessarily with wide eyes

Antonyms
  • glance

    a very quick, brief look — the opposite of a long, fixed gaze

Grammar Patterns

stare + at + noun phrase (person or thing being looked at)

stare + into + noun phrase (space, distance, darkness)

Usage Note

Frequently used with the preposition 'at' to indicate the target of the gaze. The subject's eyes are typically described as being wide open, which distinguishes 'stare' from 'gaze' or 'glance'.

Common Mistakes

He stared me for five minutes.
He stared at me for five minutes.
'stare' is intransitive and needs the preposition 'at' before the object.
She stared the beautiful sunset.
She stared at the beautiful sunset.
without 'at', the sentence is grammatically incomplete.

stared — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All five words describe directing the eyes toward something, but they differ in duration, emotion, and eye position. 'Stare' (A2) is the most direct: eyes wide open, held still for a long time, often from surprise, fear, or deep concentration. 'Gaze' (B1) is softer and more sustained — you gaze at a sunset or at someone you love, with a sense of admiration or wonder. 'Glare' (B2) is an angry, hostile stare, usually with narrowed eyes and a tense face. 'Peer' (B1) suggests difficulty seeing — you peer into fog or through a dirty window, leaning forward and squinting. 'Look' (A1) is the most general and neutral; it covers any act of directing the eyes, however brief. For example: Amara stared at the test results in shock (unable to stop looking), but she peered at the tiny print on the medicine bottle (needing to see more clearly), and then glared at her brother when he laughed (angry), while her mother just looked out the window calmly.

stare ↗gaze ↗glare ↗peer ↗look ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • stare someone in the face
  • stare into space
  • stare at the wall
  • meet someone's stare
  • give someone a stare

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'stare' comes from Old English 'starian' (to gaze fixedly), which traces back to a Proto-Germanic root '*staren-' meaning 'to be rigid or stiff'. This same ancient root is related to the Old Norse 'stara' (to stare) and the Greek 'stereos' (solid, stiff) — the idea being that when you stare, your eyes become fixed and unmoving, as if frozen in place.