gawk

American  

[gawk] / gɔk /

verb (used without object)

1. to stare stupidly; gape.

   The onlookers gawked at arriving celebrities.

   Synonyms:

   rubberneck , goggle , gaze , ogle , peer

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noun

1. an awkward, foolish person.

gawk British  

/ ɡɔːk /

noun

1. a clumsy stupid person; lout

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verb

1. (intr) to stare in a stupid way; gape

Usage

Where does the word gawk come from? We've all gawked, or "stared stupidly," at various spectacles, from acrobats to celebrity meltdowns.Word nerds gawk at the origin of gawk—because it's a spectacular puzzle.Gawk is recorded in 1775–85 in American English. It's believed that gawk is based on an Old English word meaning "fool," which appears in gawk hand or gallock hand, referring to the left hand. Our apologies, lefties.An alternative idea is that gawk is based on gaw, an old word meaning "to gaze, stare," with an additional -k suffix found in other words such as talk and stalk.Stubborn isn’t alone: it finds lots of company in other English words that seem simple but whose origins are not. Discover more in our slideshow “‘Dog,’ ‘Boy,’ And Other Words That We Don’t Know Where They Came From."

Etymology

Origin of gawk

1775–85; apparently representing OE word meaning fool, equivalent to ga(gol) foolish + -oc -ock; used attributively in gawk hand, gallock hand left hand

Example Sentences

To them, he is something to gawk at while patting themselves on the back for “accepting” him.

From Salon

The rest of the “tiny” people in the St. Francis High gym are gawking in awe at his 7-9 wingspan.

From Los Angeles Times

One beautiful evening, a dozen people were gawking at the LAV-25 armored vehicles.

From Salon

Visitors strolling Hollywood Boulevard stopped to gawk at the gathering, which blocked two lanes of eastbound traffic in the busy tourist area.

From Los Angeles Times

“We were also used to having protection; now anyone can just come in and gawk.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• gape
• glare
• ogle