Staring Definition & Meaning

American

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Synonyms staring American [stair-ing] / ˈstɛər ɪŋ /

adjective

1. gazing fixedly and intently, especially with the eyes wide open.

   Standing in front of Jane’s staring face, Ravi lifted the conch shell above his head and smashed it into a hundred pieces on the floor.

2. boldly, inescapably, or obnoxiously conspicuous; glaring.

   Whenever I dwell on my own shortcomings, they begin to seem mild and harmless, not at all like the staring defects in other people's characters.

adverb

1. Chiefly British. glaringly or conspicuously; thoroughly (often preceded bystark ).

   This "borrow and spend" policy is stark staring bonkers.

Other Word Forms

• staringly adverb

Etymology

Origin of staring

star(e) ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

How many realize that staring at screens all day can make kids literally shortsighted?

From The Wall Street Journal

Defeat would mean a new year in Sydney staring down the barrel of a 5-0.

From BBC

They are staring down the barrel of relegation after taking only two points from their past five games.

From BBC

It was as if they were staring at the AI industry’s broader dilemma: whether to move boldly into uncertain territory or wait for clarity and risk falling behind.

From The Wall Street Journal

His family regularly catches him pacing through the basement or standing at the sink staring at nothing.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.