# stare

> English word · Verb · IPA /stɛɚ/ · frequency rank #8,211

## Definitions
1. To look fixedly (at something).
2. To influence in some way by looking fixedly.
3. To be very conspicuous on account of size, prominence, colour, or brilliancy.
4. To stand out; to project; to bristle.

## Etymology
From Middle English staren, from Old English starian (“to stare”), from Proto-West Germanic *starēn, from Proto-Germanic *starjaną, *starāną (“to be fixed, be rigid”), from Proto-Indo-European *ster-.
Cognate with Dutch staren (“to stare”), German starren (“to stare”), German starr (“stiff”). More at start.

## Easily confused with
- **STR** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stare-vs-str)
- **sure** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stare-vs-sure)
- **stay** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stare-vs-stay)
- **stir** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stare-vs-stir)
- **stat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stare-vs-stat)
- **state** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stare-vs-state)
- **start** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stare-vs-start)
- **story** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stare-vs-story)
- **style** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stare-vs-style)
- **store** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stare-vs-store)
- **stars** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stare-vs-stars)
- **stone** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stare-vs-stone)
- **Steve** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stare-vs-steve)
- **storm** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stare-vs-storm)
- **stats** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stare-vs-stats)
- **stays** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stare-vs-stays)
- **stole** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stare-vs-stole)
- **stark** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stare-vs-stark)
- **stern** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stare-vs-stern)
- **stoke** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stare-vs-stoke)

## Common misspellings (7)
`satre`, `sstare`, `staer`, `starre`, `strae`, `sttare`, `tsare`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/stare