Meaning & use
gawking at someone
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Meanings
phraseidiominformaldisapproving
Staring at someone in a rude, open way, usually for a long time.
Grammar: Used as a continuous action; the verb 'gawk' is intransitive, so you need 'at' before the person: gawk at someone, not gawk someone.
Patterns
- gawking at someone
- gawk at someone
- be gawking at someone
- stop gawking at someone
The tourists stood on the corner gawking at the bride and her guests.
He kept gawking at the woman in the red coat until she turned away.
People were gawking at the crash, which made it hard for the ambulance to get through.
phraseidiominformaldisapproving
Watching something with such obvious attention that it looks foolish or impolite.
Grammar: Often used in the progressive to describe an ongoing action; the simple form 'gawk at' is also common for a single habit or event.
Patterns
- gawking at something
- gawk at something
- stand gawking at something
We spent ten minutes gawking at the huge painting before we noticed the guard watching us.
Instead of helping, the crowd just stood gawking at the flooded street.
She was gawking at the price tag as if it were a mistake.
Word forms
| base form | gawk at someone |
|---|---|
| third person singular | gawks at someone |
| past tense | gawked at someone |
| past participle | gawked at someone |
| -ing form | gawking at someone |
Common combinations
- stand gawking at someone
- They stood gawking at the actor as he left the theater.
- keep gawking at someone
- Don't keep gawking at her; it's making her uncomfortable.
- caught gawking at someone
- He was caught gawking at the couple across the restaurant.
- stop gawking at someone
- Stop gawking at the man and come help me carry these bags.
- gawk at the sight
- Drivers slowed down to gawk at the sight of the overturned truck.
Synonyms and how they differ
- staring
- More neutral and can describe any long look, while 'gawking' always suggests the staring is rude or silly.
- gaping
- Focuses on an open-mouthed, amazed look; 'gawking' stresses the rudeness more than the surprise.
- rubbernecking
- Used mainly about drivers slowing down to look at an accident, so it is narrower than 'gawking at someone'.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: gawking at someone or gawping? gawking at someone or looking at someone?
gawking at someone vs gawping
British informal spelling and pronunciation of the same idea; 'gawping at someone' is common in British English, while 'gawking' is more American.
gawking at someone vs looking at someone
A neutral phrase for any ordinary look; 'gawking' adds the idea of rudeness or foolishness.
Practice
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Gawk' is intransitive and takes 'at' before the person you stare at, so 'gawking at the singer' is correct. 'Gawking to' and 'gawking on' are not used with this meaning, and 'gawking the singer' is missing the necessary preposition.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “gawking at someone”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.