stare out
B2 neutral separable both
In simple words
To win a staring competition, or to look steadily out of a window.
Literal meaning: To look in an outward direction — transparent in the window-gazing sense.
Meanings
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."
Grammar: separable
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."
Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes
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'.
Commonly used with
window opponent rival distance rain glass
Forms
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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Synonyms
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