stare someone in the face

verb

To be extremely visible and obvious to someone.

“, Book I The law […] stares them in the face whilst they are breaking it.”

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Meanings

verbstare someone in the face (third-person singular simple present stares someone in the face, present participle staring someone in the face, simple past and past participle stared someone in the face)

present singular third person stares someone in the face · participle present staring someone in the face · participle past stared someone in the face · past stared someone in the face

  1. transitiveTo be extremely visible and obvious to someone.

    , Book I The law […] stares them in the face whilst they are breaking it.

    1 more example

    Then, one night you wake up with a start at 3 o'clock in the morning with the answer staring you in the face. Or maybe it hits you in the bath, like Archimedes, or while you're on the loo.

Translations

Russian броса́ться в глаза́
  • броса́ться в глаза́ (brosátʹsja v glazá)To be extremely visible and obvious
Cite this entry
APA

stare someone in the face. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stare%20someone%20in%20the%20face

MLA

“stare someone in the face.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stare%20someone%20in%20the%20face. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “stare someone in the face,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stare%20someone%20in%20the%20face.

Source: stare someone in the face on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.