Meaning & use
stare stupidly
Last updated
Meaning
verbintransitive
To look at someone or something for a long time with a blank, foolish expression.
Grammar: Used without an object; often followed by 'at' to say what you are looking at: stare stupidly at someone.
Patterns
- stare stupidly at someone
- stare stupidly at something
- stare stupidly into space
He stared stupidly at the broken machine, not knowing what to do.
She stared stupidly at the teacher when she heard the surprising news.
The tourists stared stupidly at the huge painting, clearly confused by it.
Word forms
| third person singular | stares stupidly |
|---|---|
| past tense | stared stupidly |
| past participle | stared stupidly |
| -ing form | staring stupidly |
Common combinations
- stare stupidly at
- The child stared stupidly at the magician's trick.
- stare stupidly into space
- He sat and stared stupidly into space during the whole meeting.
- stare stupidly in surprise
- She stared stupidly in surprise when the car suddenly stopped.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
Commonly confused: stare stupidly or stare blankly?
stare stupidly vs stare blankly
Staring blankly means looking without expression, often because you are not thinking; staring stupidly adds the idea of looking foolish or confused.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
We use 'stare at' to show what we are looking at, so 'at' is correct. The other prepositions do not fit the verb 'stare' in this meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “stare stupidly”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.