To gawk means to stare at something or someone in an open-mouthed, often rude way, usually because you're surprised, curious, or amazed. When people gawk, they stare with their full attention, sometimes forgetting their manners entirely and letting their mouths hang open.

You might see people gawking at a car accident as they drive by, craning their necks to see what happened. Tourists sometimes gawk at tall buildings in a new city, standing still on the sidewalk with their mouths hanging open. If someone shows up to school with a wild new haircut, classmates might gawk at them in the hallway.

The word carries a hint of criticism. Gawking suggests you're staring longer or more obviously than you should. It's the difference between noticing something interesting and standing there staring like you've never seen anything before. When adults say “it's rude to stare,” they are telling someone not to gawk.

A person who gawks regularly might be called a gawker. A gawker is the person in the room who freezes in place and stares while everyone else has moved on with their day.