staring
staring — adjective
- staringpositive
- more staringcomparative
- most staringsuperlative
1. describes a person's eyes when they are opened wide and remain fixed on somethin
describes a person's eyes when they are opened wide and remain fixed on something without moving, which usually happens because of strong surprise, fear, or deep concentration.
The child's staring eyes showed how frightened she was by the loud crash in the kitchen.
attributive use: staring + eyes / face / expression
The teacher noticed Yuki's staring expression and asked if he understood the lesson.
A photograph of the soldier with staring eyes appeared on the front page.
Quinn could not concentrate with Dario's staring gaze fixed on his back.
The staring faces of the crowd showed that everyone was waiting for news.
- wide-eyed
focuses on the open eyes rather than the fixed quality
- fixed
more general; can describe any unmoving gaze, not just with wide eyes
- unblinking
emphasises that the eyes do not close or move; more intense
用法筆記
Commonly used attributively before nouns like 'eyes', 'face', 'gaze', 'expression'. Not typically used after a verb — say 'He had a staring expression', not 'He was staring'. The verb form is used for the action.
常見錯誤
staring — verb
- staringpresent simple I / you / we / they
- starings3rd person singular
- staringing-ing form
- staringedpast simple
1. to keep your eyes open and look at someone or something for a long time without
to keep your eyes open and look at someone or something for a long time without blinking or looking away, often because you are surprised, interested, thinking, or angry.
Folake stared at the old photograph for several minutes, trying to remember the faces.
stare + at + noun phrase
Bao stared out the train window as the green fields rushed past.
The little girl stared into the fish tank, watching the goldfish swim in circles.
Walid stared at the maths problem for twenty minutes before he found the answer.
Two cats sat on the wall and stared at each other without making a sound.
文法句型
stare + at + noun phrase
stare + into + noun phrase
stare + out of/through + noun phrase
用法筆記
The most common sense. Frequently followed by 'at' for the target or 'into' for a space/container. Can also be used with 'out of' (a window), 'through' (binoculars), or 'across' (a room). Unlike 'look', staring implies duration and intensity — you stare for several seconds or longer, not just a quick glance.
常見錯誤
2. to be so clearly visible or noticeable that it draws immediate attention, often
to be so clearly visible or noticeable that it draws immediate attention, often used when a mistake, colour, or object stands out sharply from its background.
A huge spelling mistake stared out at Andrés from the middle of the printed page.
stare out at: mistake is very visible
Bright red letters stared from the shop window, advertising a fifty percent sale.
The crack in the ceiling stared down at the family every time they sat at the dinner table.
A single white flower stared from the dark green bush in the corner of the garden.
文法句型
stare + adverb/preposition + from/at
用法筆記
Almost always used with a location adverb or phrase ('out at', 'from', 'down at') that describes where the noticeable thing appears. The subject is usually an inanimate object or an error, not a person actively looking. Common in descriptions of writing, photographs, or physical flaws.
常見錯誤
3. to produce a change in someone or something by looking at them with a long, fixe
to produce a change in someone or something by looking at them with a long, fixed stare — for instance, making them feel uncomfortable, forcing them to look away, or influencing their behaviour.
Nora stared the stray dog into moving away from the front gate so she could open it.
stare + object + into + action/result
Sivan stared down his schoolmate during the argument until the other boy looked at the floor.
stare down: common phrasal usage = intimidate by staring
The security guard stared the teenager into putting the chocolate bar back on the shelf.
Arjun tried to stare the cat off the kitchen counter, but it refused to move.
- intimidate
broader — can be achieved through many means, not just staring
- outstare
specifically means to stare longer than someone else, winning a contest of looks
文法句型
stare + noun + adverb/preposition
stare + noun + into + gerund/action
用法筆記
This sense is less common than sense 1 and is mostly used in fixed expressions like 'stare someone down', 'stare someone out', or 'stare someone into doing something'. The object is typically a person or animal, and the effect is usually about intimidation or creating discomfort.