starer

1 6.7

A person who looks at someone for a long time in an unfriendly way

noun
/ˈstɛrər/

: mirón

As the new student walked by, a group of starers watched her with curiosity.

Examples

They are big starers in this town.

They're Watching (2016)
We're frightful starers, the two of us.

Don't Look Now (1973)
A has borrowed, let us say, ten starers from B, the amount and the conditions being duly witnessed.

Academic text (1991)
A sight to behold, she stares back at the starers thickly clustered on her glass...

Fiction book (2000)
In the cafe, I noticed a starer at the window, staring at the people outside.
He felt uncomfortable under the gaze of the persistent starer at the art exhibit.

Synonyms

gawker

vsstarer

Informal

7 7.6

A person who stares openly and rudely at something unusual

is more hostile or unfriendly in attitude than open rudeness

gazer

vsstarer

2 4.0

A person who looks at something for a long time with interest or wonder

is instead driven by hostility or unfriendly intent

rubbernecker

vsstarer

Informal

1 8.6

A person who stares for too long at accidents or unusual events

is more hostile or unfriendly in attitude than inquisitive staring

gaper

vsstarer

1 7.5

A person who stares with their mouth open in surprise or curiosity

is motivated by hostility or unfriendly intent rather than surprise

How Intense

ogler

Offensive

1 8.6

starer

1 6.7

gawker

Informal

7 7.6

observer

305 2.8

watcher

89 3.9

Surface Forms

starer singular

starers plural

Morphology

starer = stare (transparent) = stare + er

The noun is a regular agent nominalization from the verb 'stare' meaning 'one who stares', so the meaning is directly predictable.

Etymology

The word starer comes from the verb stare, which means 'to look with a long, fixed look', and the ending -er makes it 'one who does something', like runner. A helpful way to remember it is to picture someone holding a steady, unfriendly look. That's why a starer is a person whose gaze can make others feel uneasy.