gawk

1 of 2

noun

ˈgȯk 

: a clumsy stupid person : lout

gawk

2 of 2

verb

gawked; gawking; gawks

intransitive verb

: to gape or stare stupidly

gawked at the fish in the aquarium

gawker noun

Synonyms of gawk

Noun

• hulk
• lump
• idiot
• stupid
• moron
• creep
• mutt
• loser
• lug
• brute

Verb

• stare
• gaze

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

Carrie raves to Seema about her creative connection with Duncan, and during another writing session, Duncan helps Carrie with her faulty printer and gawks at her closet full of designer dresses and shoes. — Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 31 July 2025

The badaud, by contrast, is always liable to form a group or crowd, either for a mass gawk or some communal response. — Julian Barnes, The New York Review of Books, 27 Apr. 2022

Verb

People in surrounding cars gawked, waved and, in one instance, rolled down their windows to shout something that went unheard, as Bonelli explained that the van had internal cameras that were always on but not always being watched. — Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 20 Aug. 2026

On most days the Jewel House in the Tower of London is packed with tourists gawking at the fabled British Crown Jewels. — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 17 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

probably from English dialect gawk left-handed

Verb

perhaps alteration of obsolete gaw to stare

First Known Use

Noun

1757, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1837, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for gawk

• balk
• baulk
• bloc
• bock
• broch
• brock
• calk
• caulk
• chalk
• chock
• clock
• cock

Kids Definition

gawk

verb

ˈgȯk

: to stare stupidly

Etymology

Verb

probably an altered form of obsolete gaw "to stare"