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 FrostExamples 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
Joseph Hernandez
march 20, Kansas City Star, 20 Mar. 2026
Anyone standing in front of the windows was able to gaze into the abyss below while simultaneously taking in everything within the arc of the horizon.
—New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 14 Mar. 2026
This is the core thesis of Alex Molinaroli, the former CEO of a Fortune 500 powerhouse, Johnson Controls, who now turns his gaze from corporate boardrooms to the institutional redesign needed for AI’s ethical use.
—K. H. Koehler, AZCentral.com, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gaze
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Verb
Open from Friday, March 20, to Sunday, March 22, hundreds of cars, trucks and motorcycles will be on display for visitors to gaze upon.
—Joseph Hernandez
march 20, Kansas City Star, 20 Mar. 2026
Anyone standing in front of the windows was able to gaze into the abyss below while simultaneously taking in everything within the arc of the horizon.
—New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Noun
Fortunately, Swanberg’s millennial gaze never quite gives in to Gen Z cynicism, and the film sticks a satisfying landing that cements it as one of the mumblecore pioneer’s finest films.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 14 Mar. 2026
This is the core thesis of Alex Molinaroli, the former CEO of a Fortune 500 powerhouse, Johnson Controls, who now turns his gaze from corporate boardrooms to the institutional redesign needed for AI’s ethical use.
—K. H. Koehler, AZCentral.com, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gaze
Cite this Entry
“Gaze.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gaze. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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