gawk

noun

\ ˈgȯk

Definition of gawk

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a clumsy stupid person : lout

gawk

verb

gawked; gawking; gawks

Definition of gawk (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

: to gape or stare stupidly gawked at the fish in the aquarium

Other Words from gawk Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about gawk

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Synonyms for gawk

Synonyms: Noun

clod, clodhopper, hulk, lout, lubber, lug, lump, Neanderthal, oaf, palooka

Synonyms: Verb

blink, gape, gawp [chiefly British], gaze, goggle, peer, rubberneck, stare

Examples of gawk in a Sentence

Noun

thought that the linebackers were dumb gawks until he got to know them better

Verb

a crowd of gawking tourists couldn't help gawking at the exotically dressed guests in the hotel lobby

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

By Saturday afternoon, reporters and photographers loitered outside the restaurant, as did people who had wandered over to gawk. — Sarah Murray, latimes.com, "Why a small-town restaurant owner asked Sarah Huckabee Sanders to leave — and would do it again," 24 June 2018 Auto tourists could temporarily stop, gawk and shop at a towering dinosaur, giant sombrero or the world’s largest cheese wheel. — Vincent Crampton, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Explore Florida's Hernando County: This roadside attraction is alive and kicking," 6 May 2018 McM sold its beets to sugar companies that supplied candy makers Hershey Co. and Mars Inc. During harvest, locals pulled over to gawk at the farm’s machines clawing beets from the soil, at work around the clock. — Patrick Mcgroarty, WSJ, "Two Brothers, Tied to the Land, Face Wrath of America’s Farm Bust," 18 Dec. 2017 But almost everyone can walk — and gawk — at the homes along its shores. — Chelsey Lewis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Lake Geneva's opulent lakefront estates are a walk or boat ride away," 7 Sep. 2017 The park offers few amenities: no restaurants, no shade and nothing much to do except gawk at deserted arenas. — Renata Brito, The Seattle Times, "Rio’s Olympics 1 year later: The good, the bad and the ugly," 28 July 2017 The park offers few amenities: no restaurants, no shade and nothing much to do except gawk at deserted arenas. — Washington Post, "Rio’s Olympics 1 year later: The good, the bad and the ugly," 28 July 2017 Gawk at 30 million dollars up close, redesign the nation’s currency, check out historical currency and more. — The Know Staff, The Know, "A chalk art festival, mini golf downtown and other free and cheap things around Denver, June 2-8," 1 June 2017 Every time Mr. DiMola opens his garage doors, passers-by gawk at the explosion of artifacts in his shop. — Corey Kilgannon, New York Times, "In Queens, a Man Culls Relics From the Junk," 13 Jan. 2017

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Somehow the regulars don’t seem to mind all the irregulars who come to gawk. — Joshua Levine, WSJ, "Saks Doubles Down on Department Stores With New Restaurant in New York City," 15 Jan. 2019 Nonetheless, until the tournament ends, many foreign soccer fans will be gawking and smiling during every food order and request for directions. — Samuel Putnam, Washington Post, "Russians don’t smile much, but that doesn’t mean they don’t like you," 30 June 2018 The Oscar-winning actor arrived at the world premiere of her latest film, Jordan Peele's Us, and the Austin's SXSW festival more or less stopped in its tracks to gawk at her gorgeous edginess. — Marci Robin, Allure, "Lupita Nyong’o Wore the Most Futuristic Hair and Makeup to the Us Premiere at SXSW," 9 Mar. 2019 Enjoy gawking at the gallery above and dreaming of winning this very unit in a few months! — Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, "Unboxing Sony’s “500 Million Limited Edition PS4 Pro”," 21 Aug. 2018 The campers may not have had fans taking selfies in front of their coaches or stopping to gawk at their luxury lodging, but even here, the outside world occasionally encroached. — Karen Crouse, New York Times, "By Land or by Sea, U.S. Open Golfers Got Creative About Their Lodging," 16 June 2018 An intensely cheerful, surprisingly young couple with two adorable children in matching jammies run outside to gawk at the shiny new member of the family. — Aditi Shrikant, Vox, "Does anyone really buy the giant car bows you see in every commercial?," 18 Dec. 2018 Day Two: The milk from those cows, having traveled to Beecher’s Handmade Cheese at Seattle’s Pike Place Market, turns into fresh cheese curds under the watchful eye of passersby gawking through the glass. — Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, "Connected to the Craft," 3 Dec. 2018 Maybe cruise sightseeing tours shouldn’t take place then polar bear guards wouldn’t be needed to protect gawking tourists & polar bears would be left in peace & not shot dead merely to satisfy a photo op? — Travis Fedschun, Fox News, "Cruise line faces backlash after guard kills polar bear near North Pole," 31 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gawk.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.