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Glite Dictionary
to stare down

to stare down

21 4.9
To look at someone without moving your eyes until they look away or give up
  • phrasal verb
  • /stɛr daʊn/
  • Informal
translation icon : intimidar con la mirada
  • Tourists tiptoed to the edge and stared down at the rancid darkness.

All the white racists, she's the one to stare them down.

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Examples

  • The protester stood firm, willing to stare down the police officers blocking the entrance.

  • You're the man who just stared down a 750-pound North American grizzly.

    We Bought a Zoo (2011)

  • I can stare you down.

    Night Must Fall (1937)

  • I'll just stare you down until you give me your money.

    Free the Nipple (2014)

  • I stopped worrying about what people thought and started staring people down more.

    Tupac: Resurrection (2003)

  • The point is, however, that I managed to stare down my own abundant insecurities and take a chance.

    Academic text (2009)

  • Sonny opened the door and stared down at her in the tub.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • A flight attendant, looking slightly dazed, stopped in her tracks and stared down in disbelief.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • In a tense standoff, she decided to stare down her opponent to show her determination.

  • During the meeting, he tried to stare down his colleagues to assert his authority.

Synonyms

to outface
vsto stare down
1 9.7

To stare at someone in a brave way to make them feel afraid

is about steady unwavering eye contact rather than bold confident displays
to outstare
vsto stare down
8.6

To look at someone without blinking longer so they look away

is steady and unwavering rather than longer or more intense

How Intimidating

to intimidate
294 4.9
to glare
49 3.2
to stare down
  • Informal
21 4.9
to stare
∞ 1.0
to look at
∞ 1.0
to glance at
150 2.0

Surface Forms

stare down infinitive
stared down past
stared down past participle
staring down present participle
stares down third person singular

Morphology

stare + down

The sense is partly compositional: combining 'stare' (to fix one's eyes) with 'down' (to bring down/defeat) yields the idea of overpowering someone by looking at them. However, 'down' here functions as a resultative/figurative marker of dominance, which is metaphorical and may not be fully predictable to a B1 learner without prior exposure, so the expression is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Stare down comes from the image of two people holding a hard stare while one is pushed down, forced to look away or give up. So, to stare down someone means to make them 'give up' or 'back down' by looking at them steadily without moving your eyes.