From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishgazegaze1 /ɡeɪz/ ●●○ verb [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] LOOK ATto look at someone or something for a long time, giving it all your attention, often without realizing you are doing so SYN staregaze into/at etc Nell was still gazing out of the window. Patrick sat gazing into space (=looking straight in front, not at any particular person or thing).► see thesaurus at look→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
gaze• Edward was enthralled; he leaned his head on his hands and gazed.• Surely he deserves better of me than to gaze at him with my policeman's eyes.• But before I duck in, I pause a moment to gaze at the rapidly changing color of the sky.• I lay back on the sand and gazed at the stars above.• He gazes at us full on with a half-smile and wide-open eyes.• She gazed dispiritedly at her own reflection in the mirror, seeing the dark shadows beneath her eyes.• Ruth gazed down at the sleeping child.• Antony rose to his feet and stood gazing intensely at her.• He was just gazing into space.• He stopped talking suddenly and gazed into the distance.• She sat gazing out the windows at the people walking by.gaze into/at etc• He was still gazing at her across the warm fog of the coffee bar.• She sees that Harriet is quietly gazing at her in the red firelight.• She gazed at him implacably, determined not to fight him, or to struggle.• Lachlan was standing quite still, gazing at Marion, who stared right back at him, head high, challenging him.• Dexter saw Blanche gaze at Parkin with sadness.• Nails shut the door and stood gazing into space, silent, apparently thinking.• While Francis had been gazing into the unseeable distance, the wall had extended several metres across the clearing.• Emily seemed to sense this too as she gazed at the uppermost branches.gazegaze2 ●○○ noun [singular] LOOK ATa long steady look She felt embarrassed under his steady gaze.lower/drop your gaze Ellen smiled uncomfortably and lowered her gaze.meet somebody’s gaze (=look directly at someone who is looking at you) He didn’t dare to meet her gaze.COLLOCATIONSverbslower/drop your gaze (=look down)Her eyes met his and she immediately dropped her gaze.avert your gaze (=look away)Miller averted his eyes from the beggars that lined the streets.meet somebody’s gaze (=look at someone who is looking at you)He said nothing, but met her gaze.hold somebody’s gaze (=keep looking at someone who is looking at you)He held her gaze for a few seconds, then continued eating.avoid somebody’s gaze (=not look at someone)I avoided his gaze and just looked out of the window.fix your gaze on somebody/something (=look at someone or something continuously)He fixed his gaze on the wall behind her.keep your gaze (fixed) on somebody/something (=keep looking at someone or something)I kept my gaze fixed on the television and didn’t look at him as he left the room.somebody’s gaze falls on somebody/something (=someone looks at someone or something)Fisher’s gaze fell on Mr. Grant.somebody’s gaze moves/travels/shifts/sweeps etcHis gaze travelled over the still water to the other side of the lake.adjectivesa steady gaze (=a look in which you do not look away)Jess felt embarrassed under his steady gaze.an intense gaze (=when someone looks at someone or something with concentration)His intense gaze never left Delaney.a piercing gaze (=a look that seems to see what you are thinking)He fixed the boy with a piercing gaze and waited for his response.a steely gaze (=a determined look)He fixed a steely gaze on his opponent. Examples from the Corpus
gaze• The tap-tap boy with the crooked gaze stood in the open doorway, grinning as usual.• Toni turned her gaze back to the fireplace.• It seemed that he had not heard Garland's little speech but his gaze came round eventually.• Hinn focused his gaze on the opposite end of the stadium, near the top.• She said nothing, but she met his gaze fully and did not veil her own.• The full force of that old gaze.• We look at each other, and then, drop our gaze to hide our confusion.• It was that bitter rivalry that led us to lift our gaze to space-but what we have seen has transfigured us.• Nathan's gaze flickered over her, his own thoughts hidden behind eyes reflecting the soft glow of the bedhead lamp.• a small man with a shrewd gazelower/drop your gaze• He stepped back from the microphone and lowered his gaze, lost in painful emotion.• For no reason at all, she shivered and dropped her gaze.• When Ryan read the charge of homicide of Menendez, Franco lowered his gaze from the bench and stared at his feet.• He dropped his gaze and concentrated on his hands, examining his clean perfect nails.• We look at each other, and then, drop our gaze to hide our confusion.Origin gaze1 (1300-1400) Probably from a Scandinavian language 