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gaze

v. · n.
US //ˈɡeɪz// UK //ɡˈeɪz// gaze
  1. 1 to look steadily (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Literary

    to look at something for a long time with interest, wonder, or deep thought.

    to look steadily and intently, as with great curiosity, interest, pleasure, or wonder. Usually intransitive and followed by the preposition 'at'.

    Example

    She sat by the window and gazed at the stars for hours.

    Example

    The explorers stood on the ridge and gazed across the vast, uncharted valley, overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the landscape.

    Usage

    Commonly takes the preposition 'at' or 'into'.
  2. 2 a steady look (n.)
    C1 Advanced Literary

    a long, steady look that shows what you are feeling or thinking.

    a fixed, intent look or a steady act of observation. Often used to describe a look that conveys a specific emotion or power dynamic.

    Example

    He felt her steady gaze on him as he tried to finish his work.

    Example

    The portrait was famous for the subject's haunting gaze, which seemed to follow viewers regardless of where they stood in the gallery.
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  1. 3 the male/female gaze (n.)
    C1 Advanced Academic

    a way of looking at people or the world from a specific perspective, often in films or art.

    a conceptual way of looking or being looked at, particularly regarding power dynamics and objectification in media and social theory.

    Example

    The professor discussed how the 'male gaze' affects the way women are shown in movies.

    Example

    Critical theorists often analyse how the colonial gaze shaped the ethnographic photography of the nineteenth century.

    Teacher's tip

    This sense is common in university-level humanities and media studies.
Origin

From Middle English gasen; akin to Swedish dialectal gasa and Gothic 𐌿𐍃𐌲𐌰𐌹𐍃𐌾𐌰𐌽 (usgaisjan, “to terrify”).

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