WAYS OF LOOKING

to stare

to look at sth or someone for a long time without moving your eyes

• Implies fascination, curiosity, or surprise. For example, you could use it to depict someone gazing intently at an intriguing painting.

to gaze

to look for a long time, giving it all your attention without realizing it.

• It implies a more serene and reflective state of mind compared to the intense focus of staring.

to glare

to look at someone angrily for a long time.

• It suggests a fixed and angry stare, usually accompanied by narrowed eyes or a furrowed brow.

to squint

to look with your eyes partly closed to see better.

to peer

to look very carefully, especially because you’re having difficulty seeing it.

• Implies a focused and often somewhat challenging effort to see or observe something clearly.

to ogle

to look at someone in a way that shows sexual attraction

• negative connotation - disgust

to gawp/gawk

to look for a long time with an open mouth in surprise.

• Implies staring in an open-mouthed, often impolite manner.

to gape

to look at sth for a long time, esp. with your mouth open bc you are shocked or surprised.

• Unlike "gawp" or "gawk", this term often emphasizes the open mouth as part of the expression.

to blink

to close your eyes for a very short time and quickly open them.

to wink

to close and open one eye quickly.

• Signaling a secret or joke, for example.

to eye

to look at sb/sth carefully bc you want something or you suspect that something is wrong.

• Implies a deliberate, often intense look that conveys more than just casual observation.

to glance

(at/down/over/through)

to look or read something quickly and not carefully or completely.

• Typically implies a momentary, often casual or fleeting, observation.

to peek

quick and secretly look at something that you should not be looking at.

to glimpse

see sb/sth for a moment, but not very clearly

• catch a sight of sth/sb

to spot

to notice sth/sb, especially suddenly or when they are difficult to see/recognize.

to make out

be just able to see or hear something.

• Implies an effort to perceive something that is not immediately clear or easy to discern

to see

passive - to look not making any effort

to look

active - to make a physical effort to see

to watch

to observe sth happening in front of you

to view

• to observe sth happening in front of you

• to look close and examine sth