death stare
2
7.4
- noun
- /dɛθ stɛr/
:
mirada mortal
- He shoots a death stare at Anna.
He said in that moment, she shot him the death stare.
- He said in that moment, she shot him the death stare.
- Just giving everyone who drives by the death stare get over.
Examples
-
After I made a joke during a serious discussion, the manager gave me a death stare that silenced the entire room.
-
I just got a death stare from my boss for laughing so loud at this.
Blog text (28) -
The cable guy gets in Rick's face and gives him a death stare.
Fiction book (1996) -
So it should come as no surprise that when a French TV show mocked Choupette, Lagerfeld went through a series of reactions that can best be described as bemusement, then horror, then repulsion, then a death stare.
Blog text (7) -
And, don't even get me started on the McDonald's that I walked into and then walked out of because of all the death stares I got for daring to go into a freaking McDonald's.
Blog text (10) -
When I interrupted the meeting, my colleague shot me a death stare that made me immediately regret my comment.
-
She always knows how to deliver the perfect death stare when someone is being rude in class.
Synonyms
15
3.9
An angry look that shows you do not like something
10
2.8
A look that shows dislike or anger
2
4.6
A fixed unfriendly look that shows anger or disapproval
2
3.1
A serious face that shows someone is unhappy or strict
1
5.8
A very angry face that makes someone feel afraid
A cold unfriendly look someone gives to show dislike
A look that shows dislike, suspicion, or jealousy
How Intense
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound links 'death' + 'stare' so a learner who knows both words can infer it denotes an extremely hostile or threatening look, but the relation is metaphorical rather than literal and the exact pragmatic force (intimidation/anger) is not fully predictable from the parts. Cross-linguistic parallels (e.g. Spanish 'mirada de muerte', French 'regard assassin') make the figurative extension relatively accessible, so the expression is partly but not fully transparent.
Etymology
Death stare comes from the simple image of death and a hard stare — a look so cold it seems able to 'kill'. That's why it now means a very angry or threatening look that shows 'anger' or 'disapproval'.