Stare

Part of speech: verb, noun

Pronunciation: /stɛɚ/

Definitions

1. To look fixedly at something or someone for an extended period of time, often with wide eyes
2. To observe something with unwavering focus, often resulting in an intense gaze that reflects curiosity or surprise
3. To fix one's eyes on an object or person without looking away, showing deep attention or interest

Etymology: The verb "stare" comes from Old English "starian," which meant "to stare" but took its root from a much older idea of rigidity. Its ancestor, reconstructed as Proto-Germanic "*starjaną," carried the sense "to be fixed, be rigid," so the act of staring was originally a matter of holding still. German "starr" ("stiff") and Dutch "staren" ("to stare") still preserve that link between a fixed gaze and a stiff body. The noun and verb are not the only "stare" in English. A separate word, from Old English "stær," meant "starling," the bird, and came from a Proto-Germanic root shared with German "Star," Swedish "stare," and Icelandic "stari." Old English also had "stearn," another name for a starling. The two words developed from different roots and only look alike by accident, so the bird and the act of gazing have no common ancestor.

Synonyms: gaze, glare, look, peer, gawk

Antonyms: glance, look away, ignore