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 Web
Jessica Wang, EW.com, 10 Feb. 2025
Her mom gazed on with pride as Doechii delivered a powerful message.
—Alex Apatoff, People.com, 3 Feb. 2025
Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2025
The cover image is one of several that show Barbara with her dark hair obscuring her face, an adolescent Cousin Itt, hiding from the parental gaze.
—Helen Sullivan, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for gaze 
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Verb
Emmy winner Zendaya returns as recovering drug addict Rue Bennett, who somberly gazes over her shoulder in a darkened room in the photo (above) shared Monday.
—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 10 Feb. 2025
Her mom gazed on with pride as Doechii delivered a powerful message.
—Alex Apatoff, People.com, 3 Feb. 2025
Noun
Her understanding of her body and her steely gaze has only deepened since then, culminating in her Best Actress win at the Academy Awards for 2022’s Everything Everywhere All at Once.
—Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2025
The cover image is one of several that show Barbara with her dark hair obscuring her face, an adolescent Cousin Itt, hiding from the parental gaze.
—Helen Sullivan, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for gaze
Dictionary Entries Near gaze
Cite this Entry
“Gaze.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gaze. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.
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