Ogle — Meaning, Definition & Examples

Definition

1. To stare at someone with obvious sexual interest.
2. To look at something with greedy desire.
3. A flirtatious or covetous stare.

Context Alive

The café was packed on a Saturday afternoon. A group of guys at the corner table kept trying to ogle the waitress every time she walked past, whispering and nudging each other like teenagers. She noticed immediately and rolled her eyes.

Meanings

3 meanings

1 To Stare at Someone with Sexual Interest (Verb) Very Common ▼

This meaning is about looking at someone in a way that shows you find them sexually attractive — and not in a subtle way. Imagine you’re at a beach and a group of guys can’t stop staring at someone walking past, their eyes following every step with obvious ogling that makes everyone uncomfortable. This is looking at someone with clear desire that others can see. You might say “stop ogling her, it’s rude” or someone could complain “he was ogling me the entire time.” Or picture a scene in a movie where someone walks into a bar and every head turns to ogle them from across the room. The word carries a strong sense of disapproval — it’s not a compliment. ✏️ Ogling is always seen as negative and disrespectful — it’s never a flattering way to look at someone.

Vivid Example

She was trying to enjoy her coffee in peace, but the man at the next table kept ogling her without any shame, making her so uncomfortable that she picked up her things and moved to a different seat.

2 To Stare at Something with Greedy Desire (Verb) Common ▼

This meaning is about staring at an object or thing with intense want — not people, but things you really desire. Imagine walking past a car dealership and your friend just stops, pressing their face against the glass to ogle a shiny red sports car with wide eyes and a dreamy expression. This is looking at something with obvious, almost hungry interest. You might ogle the dessert menu at a fancy restaurant, or kids could spend ages ogling toys in a shop window. Or think about scrolling through a website and ogling expensive watches you’ll probably never buy. The word suggests you really, really want what you’re looking at. ✏️ This meaning is lighter and more playful than the first — there’s no disapproval here, just strong desire for a thing.

Vivid Example

The kids rushed to the bakery window and started ogling the giant chocolate cake on display, their faces pressed against the glass as they pointed at every layer of frosting.

3 A Flirtatious or Covetous Stare (Noun) Less Common ▼

This meaning is about the look itself — the actual stare, not the action of staring. Imagine you catch someone giving you a long, obvious ogle from across the room — that lingering, uncomfortable gaze that says way too much. This is using ogle as a noun to describe that kind of look. You might say “he gave her an ogle that made her skin crawl” or “she caught his ogle and immediately looked away.” Or picture telling a friend about a creepy experience: “I could feel his ogle on me the whole evening.” The word points to a look that’s loaded with desire or interest. ✏️ The noun form is much rarer than the verb — most people use “ogle” as something you do, not something you give.

Vivid Example

She felt an uncomfortable warmth on the side of her face and turned to find a stranger’s obvious ogle fixed on her, the kind of stare that made her want to leave the party immediately.

Examples from the Street

“Stop ogling and just go talk to her!”

Stop staring with obvious interest and actually start a conversation

“I caught him ogling the waitress the whole time we were eating.”

I noticed he kept staring at the server in a clearly inappropriate way throughout the meal

“She walked past the sports car, openly ogling it.”

She passed the expensive car and couldn’t stop staring at it with obvious desire

Common Patterns

ogle someone → stare at a person in a way that shows obvious attraction (often unwelcome)

ogle at someone → same meaning, slightly more informal variant with “at”

catch someone ogling → notice that someone is staring inappropriately

stop ogling → a demand to quit staring in that obvious, uncomfortable way

stand/sit there ogling → emphasises doing nothing except staring with desire

can’t stop/help ogling → unable to control staring at someone or something attractive

ogle something → stare at an object with obvious desire or fascination (cars, food, jewellery)

ogle the display/window/menu → gaze longingly at items on show

openly ogle → stare without trying to hide your interest or desire

Collocations

2 collocations

ogle at someone

stare at a person in a rude or sexual way

caught ogling

seen staring at someone inappropriately

Example Sentences

12 examples

1

She noticed the man at the bar ogling her and immediately turned away

She saw the stranger across the room staring at her with obvious inappropriate interest and quickly looked in the other direction.

2

Will you stop ogling your phone and actually listen to me?

Can you quit staring at your screen with that glazed expression and pay attention to what I’m saying?

3

Every time a luxury car drives past, he just stands there ogling

Whenever an expensive vehicle goes by, he freezes and stares at it with pure longing.

4

I caught my colleague ogling the new intern, which made me really uncomfortable

I noticed my workmate staring at the recent hire in an obviously inappropriate way, and it bothered me.

5

The kids pressed their faces against the glass, ogling the cakes in the bakery window

The children pushed up against the shop front, gazing longingly at the pastries on display.

6

He tried to be subtle, but everyone could see him ogling at the celebrity across the restaurant

He attempted to be discreet, but it was obvious to everyone that he was gawking at the famous person on the other side of the room.

7

She couldn’t help ogling the designer handbags even though she couldn’t afford any of them

She was unable to stop herself from staring hungrily at the expensive bags, despite knowing they were way beyond her budget.

8

Some people go to the beach just to ogle — it’s really off-putting

Certain individuals visit the seaside purely to leer at others in swimwear — it’s genuinely unpleasant.

9

We spent the whole car show openly ogling the vintage Ferraris

We passed the entire exhibition shamelessly admiring and drooling over the classic Italian sports cars.

10

He was ogling the menu for ten minutes before he finally ordered

He spent ages gazing longingly at all the food options before he eventually made a decision.

Learner Examples

★

Instead of ogling the answer key, try working through the exercise yourself first

Rather than staring longingly at the solutions, attempt to complete the task on your own before checking.

★

The students couldn’t stop ogling the exchange student’s cool trainers instead of focusing on the lesson

The class was unable to take their eyes off the visiting pupil’s stylish shoes rather than concentrating on what was being taught.

Phrasal Verbs & Idioms

0 items

Synonyms & Antonyms

6 items

Synonyms

stare at

look with desire

gawk at

stare rudely

gaze at

look intently

leer at

look in a creepy way

Antonyms

ignore

pay no attention to

look away

avert your gaze