1 B2 informal
(British English) To win a staring contest by holding eye contact until the other person looks away.
"The cat and the dog faced each other in the hallway, each trying to stare the other out."
separable
stare out
B2 neutral separable transitive/intransitive
To defeat someone in a staring contest by maintaining eye contact until they look away, or to gaze fixedly out of a window.
In plain English
To win a staring competition, or to look steadily out of a window.
What does "stare out" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 neutral
To look fixedly through a window, often in a thoughtful or distracted way.
"She sat at her desk all morning, staring out at the grey winter sky."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To look in an outward direction — transparent in the window-gazing sense.
Actually means
To win a staring competition, or to look steadily out of a window.
Usage tip
The 'defeat in a staring contest' sense is primarily British English. The 'gaze out of a window' sense is also common in British English. The American equivalent for the first sense is 'stare down'.
Words that pair with "stare out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
window opponent rival distance rain glass
How to conjugate "stare out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
stare out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
stares out
he/she/it
Past simple
stared out
yesterday
Past participle
stared out
have + pp
-ing form
staring out
continuous
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