# gaze

/ˈɡeɪz/ (US) · /ɡˈeɪz/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/gaze
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. to look steadily

verb · CEFR B2 · Literary

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

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

- She sat by the window and gazed at the stars for hours.
- 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. a steady look

noun · CEFR C1 · Literary

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

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

- He felt her steady gaze on him as he tried to finish his work.
- The portrait was famous for the subject's haunting gaze, which seemed to follow viewers regardless of where they stood in the gallery.

### 3. the male/female gaze

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic

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

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

- The professor discussed how the 'male gaze' affects the way women are shown in movies.
- Critical theorists often analyse how the colonial gaze shaped the ethnographic photography of the nineteenth century.

Teaching tip: This sense is common in university-level humanities and media studies.

## Examples

- She kept her gaze fixed on the distant mountains.
- The artist stood back from the canvas, his intense gaze searching for any small mistakes in the portrait.
- Under the cold gaze of the statue, the tourists felt a strange sense of being watched by history itself.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.