gazed; gazing; gazes
: to fix the eyes in a steady intent look often with eagerness or studious attention
gazed out the window at the snow
gazer
noun
plural gazers
plural gazes
1
: a fixed intent look
a steady gaze
He fixed his gaze out the window.
She lowered/dropped/raised her gaze.
I met his gaze. [=I looked back at him.]
2
: the collective preferences and expectations of a usually privileged social group especially when imposed as a standard or norm on other groups
In 1973, British feminist film writer Laura Mulvey wrote a seminal essay called "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema", which explored how mainstream films appealed to a male gaze—a term she coined—because the industry was dominated by men who, inevitably, constructed representations of women from a masculine point of view.—
Kerrie O'Brien
Kerrie O'BrienSo few slots are available for nonwhite writers that those who break through are sometimes themselves charged with … exaggerating elements of their culture for a white gaze; living up to the image that white writers have created for them, the easier to be packaged and sold.—Ligaya Mishan
Ligaya MishanIt looks like a gentle scene of a seaside vacation. But this painting by Berthe Morisot, perhaps the most underrated Impressionist, is a layered vision of a dawning modern age and a rare glimpse at the 19th-century female gaze.—Natasha Frost
Natasha FrostSynonyms
Examples of gaze in a Sentence
Verb
He gazed out the window at the snow.
She gazed intently into his eyes.
Noun
She looked at him with a calm, steady gaze.
suddenly aware of her admiring gaze, he became self-conscious and uncomfortable
Recent Examples on the WebMax Kim, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2024
The 2024 poster will gaze down on this year’s jury, headed by Barbie director Greta Gerwig, as the jury members judge the films in the running for the Palme d’Or.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Apr. 2024
The pair were next seen in a close-up shot standing outside together as Thompson gazed lovingly at her new husband.
—Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024
The 1,378 square feet of indoor space afforded us a living room with floor-to-ceiling windows gazing out toward the beach (and the sunset) and a full kitchen.
—Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2024
Sol’s mother, Alicia Alvarez, was due next week, Methodist Health System spokesman Ryan Owens said, but her baby instead arrived at 1:04 p.m. as the rest of the town was gazing at the sky.
—Minnah Arshad, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024
The biggest easter egg, however, is the New Vegas skyline Hank gazes upon in the distance.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024
Sparkling eyes gazed down from icons on the sanctuary walls.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024
The park’s Redwood Canopy Trail takes visitors up into the mid-canopy over aerial suspension bridges, with platforms from which to gaze out and channel your inner Swiss Family Robinson.
—Jackie Burrell, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024
Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 23 Apr. 2024
In the stands, the spectators jerk their heads dutifully left and right, but the camera keeps finding Tashi’s gaze, fixed straight ahead.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2024
The world’s gaze has remained focused on other conflicts on other continents — to the consternation of many in Myanmar who wonder why the chaos and death here brings little global outcry.
—Hannah Beech Adam Ferguson, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2024
Advertisement By California law, the job posted a salary range, so your gaze probably went immediately to the higher end of the range.
—Phil Blair, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2024
The total solar eclipse plunged Augusta National Golf Club into darkness shortly after 3 p.m. local time in Georgia, bringing the major’s first practice round to a standstill as players, caddies and patrons turned their gazes skyward.
—Jack Bantock, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024
But the political right has fixed its gaze on LGBTQ issues in schools.
—Morgan Polikoff, The Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2024
There’s no more befitting name for Mrs. Westbrook, who, since being in the public gaze for nearly two decades, has been a pillar of centeredness.
—Jasmine Browley, Essence, 26 Mar. 2024
As the song started to play, Rogers seemed a little unsure of where to direct her gaze.
—Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
Verb
Shim turned down the mood, leading the group in a meditative chant, instructing the singles to hold hands and gaze into each other’s eyes.
—Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2024
The 2024 poster will gaze down on this year’s jury, headed by Barbie director Greta Gerwig, as the jury members judge the films in the running for the Palme d’Or.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Apr. 2024
The pair were next seen in a close-up shot standing outside together as Thompson gazed lovingly at her new husband.
—Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024
The 1,378 square feet of indoor space afforded us a living room with floor-to-ceiling windows gazing out toward the beach (and the sunset) and a full kitchen.
—Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2024
Sol’s mother, Alicia Alvarez, was due next week, Methodist Health System spokesman Ryan Owens said, but her baby instead arrived at 1:04 p.m. as the rest of the town was gazing at the sky.
—Minnah Arshad, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024
The biggest easter egg, however, is the New Vegas skyline Hank gazes upon in the distance.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024
Sparkling eyes gazed down from icons on the sanctuary walls.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024
The park’s Redwood Canopy Trail takes visitors up into the mid-canopy over aerial suspension bridges, with platforms from which to gaze out and channel your inner Swiss Family Robinson.
—Jackie Burrell, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024
Noun
In the end, the Daisy Flower Field in Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park topped the charts, capturing participants’ gaze for an average of 3.89 seconds.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 23 Apr. 2024
In the stands, the spectators jerk their heads dutifully left and right, but the camera keeps finding Tashi’s gaze, fixed straight ahead.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2024
The world’s gaze has remained focused on other conflicts on other continents — to the consternation of many in Myanmar who wonder why the chaos and death here brings little global outcry.
—Hannah Beech Adam Ferguson, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2024
Advertisement By California law, the job posted a salary range, so your gaze probably went immediately to the higher end of the range.
—Phil Blair, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2024
The total solar eclipse plunged Augusta National Golf Club into darkness shortly after 3 p.m. local time in Georgia, bringing the major’s first practice round to a standstill as players, caddies and patrons turned their gazes skyward.
—Jack Bantock, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024
But the political right has fixed its gaze on LGBTQ issues in schools.
—Morgan Polikoff, The Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2024
There’s no more befitting name for Mrs. Westbrook, who, since being in the public gaze for nearly two decades, has been a pillar of centeredness.
—Jasmine Browley, Essence, 26 Mar. 2024
As the song started to play, Rogers seemed a little unsure of where to direct her gaze.
—Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gaze.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near gaze
Cite this Entry
“Gaze.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gaze. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.
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