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 WebChristopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2024
Morgan gazed around at the quaking cottonwood and sycamore leaves blocking out the sun there in the Chiricahuas, the tall Sky Island range in far southeastern Arizona whose year-round stream with picturesque cascades attracts migrating trogons and, in turn, trogon watchers each year.
—Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 22 Sep. 2024
Guy Lodge, Variety, 28 Sep. 2024
But what does that mean in the noise of today’s marketplace, where brands are vying for split-seconds of gaze?
—Prince Ghuman, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gaze 
Verb
With an esoteric take on museum gazing that’s laser focused on your feelings, the overall concept is very sound.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2024
Morgan gazed around at the quaking cottonwood and sycamore leaves blocking out the sun there in the Chiricahuas, the tall Sky Island range in far southeastern Arizona whose year-round stream with picturesque cascades attracts migrating trogons and, in turn, trogon watchers each year.
—Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 22 Sep. 2024
Noun
The film’s gaze is arguably as mocking as it is dazzled — with the macho posturing and hero-worship of Roca Rey a tacit source of comedy — while Serra, living up to his reputation for challenging arthouse fare, doesn’t flinch in his presentation of animal abuse and suffering.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 28 Sep. 2024
But what does that mean in the noise of today’s marketplace, where brands are vying for split-seconds of gaze?
—Prince Ghuman, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gaze
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 8 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share