staring

SaySTAIR-ing/ˈstɛɹɪŋ/UK/ˈstɛəɹɪŋ/

5 meanings of staring

1
verb
Present participle and gerund of stare. Use this -ing form when someone is looking hard at something right now.
She caught him staring at her across the crowded room.
Staring at bright screens for hours can tire your eyes.
Note
2
adjective
Looking hard at something with the eyes wide open.
Like when you look at something so hard that you forget to blink.
The child fixed her staring eyes on the strange visitor.
He gave a wild, staring look when the lights went out.
Similarfixed, unblinking, wide-eyed, glassy
3
noununcountable
The act of looking at someone for a long time without looking away.
Her constant staring made the new student uncomfortable.
He hated the staring he got whenever he wore the costume.
Similargazing, gaping, ogling
Note
4
adjective
Very bright or colorful in a way that looks like far too much.
Like a color so bright it almost hurts to look at.
She arrived in a staring yellow dress that lit up the room.
The old poster used staring colors to grab every passerby's attention.
Similargarish, gaudy, lurid, loud, glaring
Oppositesubdued, muted, understated

Less common meaning

5
adjectiveobsolete
Shocking and exciting in a cheap, crude way.
Like a story made to shock you just to grab your attention.
The newspaper's staring headlines promised murder and betrayal.
Crowds lined up for the staring melodrama and its scenes of horror.
Note

staring is a form of stare

stare, verb: To look at someone or something for a long time without looking away. Full entry

Forms: starestares he/she/itstaring -ing formstared past tense, past participle
Spelling: stare → staring: drop the e, add -ing

Practice

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