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Meaning & use

staring out into space

verb·Advanced

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UK/ˈsteərɪŋ aʊt ˈɪntə speɪs/
US/ˈsterɪŋ aʊt ˈɪntu speɪs/

Meaning

  1. verbintransitive

    Looking ahead with your eyes open but not seeing anything, often when thinking deeply or daydreaming.

    Grammar: This is the -ing form of 'stare out into space'. It is used after 'be' or as part of a longer verb phrase: was staring out into space, sat staring out into space.

    Patterns

    • be staring out into space
    • sit staring out into space
    • stare out into space

    He was staring out into space during the lecture, thinking about his holiday.

    She sat by the window, staring out into space for hours.

    The boy was staring out into space, completely lost in his own thoughts.

Word forms

base formstare out into space
third person singularstares out into space
past tensestared out into space
past participlestared out into space

Common combinations

stare out into space
He often stares out into space when he is tired.
sit staring out into space
She sat staring out into space, ignoring everyone around her.
be staring out into space
When I came in, he was staring out into space.

Synonyms and how they differ

gaze into space
Similar, but 'gaze' often suggests a calmer, more pleasant look, while 'stare out into space' can suggest blankness or boredom.
daydream
Means to think about pleasant things while awake; it focuses on the thoughts, not the direction of your eyes.

Word family

stare verb
To look at something for a long time without moving your eyes.
space noun
The empty area beyond the Earth, or an empty place.

Commonly confused: staring out into space or staring into space?

staring out into space vs staring into space

This is a shorter form without 'out'; both are common, but 'staring out into space' often suggests looking out through a window or into the distance.

Practice

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