stare

1 of 2

verb

ˈster How to pronounce stare (audio)
stared; staring
Synonyms of starenext

intransitive verb

1
: to look fixedly often with wide-open eyes
He just sat and stared out the window.
—often used with at
They stared at the scene in disbelief.
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
stared him up and down
starer noun
see also:
stare one in the face

stare

2 of 2

noun

: the act or an instance of staring
a blank stare

Synonyms of stare

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Verb

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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
In 1999, the then-69-year-old great-grandmother helped obtain extra government benefits for workers who lost their jobs in a citrus freeze and stared across the contract bargaining table at lawyers for the giant Gallo wine company. — James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026 That’s no way to run a city, especially when a glaring safety problem is staring us in the face. — Frank Morano, New York Daily News, 28 Oct. 2026
Noun
The official winners of the Ballon d’Or have been announced, with Harry Kane and Alexia Putellas awarded their trophies at the London Palladium, receiving the acclaim (and the odd steely stare of jealousy) from their peers. — Nick Miller, New York Times, 27 Oct. 2026 But what if that expressionless gaze is a silent boundary — and those of us on the receiving end of the stare are the judgmental ones? — CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026 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

Phrases Containing stare

Rhymes for stare

See All Rhymes for stare

Browse Nearby Words

stardust
stare
stare at (someone)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stare.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stare. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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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
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