I. gaze 1 /ɡeɪz/ BrE AmE verb [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Origin: Probably from a Scandinavian language ]
to look at someone or something for a long time, giving it all your attention, often without realizing you are doing so SYN stare
gaze into/at etc
Nell was still gazing out of the window.
Patrick sat gazing into space (=looking straight in front, not at any particular person or thing) .
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THESAURUS
▪ look to turn your eyes towards someone or something, so that you can see them:
You should never look directly at the sun.
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After a while, he turned and looked at me.
▪ have/take a look especially spoken to look at something quickly, especially in order to find or check something:
I’ll have a look in my desk.
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Take a look at this!
▪ glance to look at someone or something for a short time and then look quickly away:
Damien glanced nervously at his watch.
▪ peek/peep ( also take a peek/peep ) to look quickly at something. Used especially when you are not supposed to look, or when you are looking through a small gap:
The door was open so he peeked inside.
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Katy peeped at her birthday present on the table.
▪ peer to look very carefully, especially because you cannot see well:
Kenji was peering at the screen.
▪ glare to look at someone in an angry way:
She glared at me as I got up to leave.
▪ stare to look at someone or something for a long time without moving your eyes:
It’s rude to stare.
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She stared straight into the camera.
▪ gaze to look at someone or something for a long time, often without realizing that you are doing it:
She gazed out of the window.
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He lay on his bed gazing at the ceiling.
▪ gape to look at someone or something for a long time, usually with your mouth open, because you are very shocked or surprised:
People gaped at him with wide-open mouths.
▪ regard formal to look at someone or something, especially in a particular way:
He regarded her steadily.
II. gaze 2 BrE AmE noun [singular]
a long steady look:
She felt embarrassed under his steady gaze.
lower/drop your gaze
Ellen smiled uncomfortably and lowered her gaze.
meet sb’s gaze (=look directly at someone who is looking at you)
He didn’t dare to meet her gaze.
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COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ lower/drop your gaze (=look down)
Her eyes met his and she immediately dropped her gaze.
▪ avert your gaze (=look away)
Miller averted his eyes from the beggars that lined the streets.
▪ meet sb’s gaze (=look at someone who is looking at you)
He said nothing, but met her gaze.
▪ hold sb’s gaze (=keep looking at someone who is looking at you)
He held her gaze for a few seconds, then continued eating.
▪ avoid sb’s gaze (=not look at someone)
I avoided his gaze and just looked out of the window.
▪ fix your gaze on somebody/something (=look at someone or something continuously)
He fixed his gaze on the wall behind her.
▪ keep your gaze (fixed) on somebody/something (=keep looking at someone or something)
I kept my gaze fixed on the television and didn’t look at him as he left the room.
▪ sb’s gaze falls on somebody/something (=someone looks at someone or something)
Fisher’s gaze fell on Mr. Grant.
▪ sb’s gaze moves/travels/shifts/sweeps etc
His gaze travelled over the still water to the other side of the lake.
■ adjectives
▪ a steady gaze (=a look in which you do not look away)
Jess felt embarrassed under his steady gaze.
▪ an intense gaze (=when someone looks at someone or something with concentration)
His intense gaze never left Delaney.
▪ a piercing gaze (=a look that seems to see what you are thinking)
He fixed the boy with a piercing gaze and waited for his response.
▪ a steely gaze (=a determined look)
He fixed a steely gaze on his opponent.
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THESAURUS
▪ look an act of looking at something:
Let me have a look at the map.
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I took a quick look around the room.
▪ glance a quick look at something before looking away again:
Susan cast a quick glance at me (=she looked quickly at me) .
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He could not resist a sidelong glance (=quickly looking to the side) to see what was happening on the other side of the road.
▪ glimpse a short look at someone or something in which you do not see them very clearly:
Fans were hoping to catch a glimpse of the singer as he left the hotel.
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I had only a fleeting glimpse (=a very quick look) of the two men as they ran away.
▪ gaze a long steady look:
Eddie fixed his gaze on the floor.
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She looked up and met his gaze (=looked at him when he was looking at her) .
▪ stare a long direct look, especially in an unfriendly way or in a way that shows you are surprised:
He was watching me with a cold stare.
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My cheery ‘Good Morning’ was met with a blank stare (=a stare which shows no emotion) .
▪ glare an angry look at someone:
She gave him a hostile glare as he entered the room.
▪ frown a confused or annoyed look:
‘Anyway,’ she said with a frown, ‘I don’t see how there could be a connection.’