look daggers

English

WOTD – 22 June 2021

Etymology

An allusion to a look being so fierce as to be able to injure the person looked at like a dagger.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌlʊk ˈdæɡəz/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌlʊk ˈdæɡɚz/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: look dag‧gers

Verb

look daggers (third-person singular simple present looks daggers, present participle looking daggers, simple past and past participle looked daggers)

1. (intransitive) Often followed by at: to stare in a disapproving, severe, or threatening manner, especially without speaking.

   Synonyms: glare daggers, shoot daggers, stare daggers

   • 1835, [Washington Irving], “Abbotsford”, in Abbotsford and Newstead Abbey (The Crayon Miscellany; no. 2), Philadelphia, Pa.: [Henry Charles] Carey, [Isaac] Lea, & Blanchard, →OCLC, pages 40–41:

     Before him set the grim baron, with a face worthy of the father of such a daughter, and looking daggers and rat's bane.

   • 1912 October, Jack London, “The Meat”, in Smoke Bellew, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co, →OCLC, page 43:

     Both employers looked daggers at Kit, for the insult rankled; […]

   • 1986, Stephen Coonts, chapter 9, in Flight of the Intruder, Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press, →ISBN, page 116:

     Even before a waitress came up, two hostesses approached and looked daggers at Suzy and Teresa, both of whom glared back.

Translations

to stare in a disapproving, severe, or threatening manner

• Catalan: fulminar amb l'esguard
• Finnish: katsoa vihamielisesti, mulkoilla (fi)
• French: lancer un regard noir, darder un regard noir, foudroyer du regard, fusiller du regard (fr), se regarder en chiens de faïence (fr)
• Italian: guardare torvo, guardare in cagnesco
• Korean: 쏘아보다 (ssoaboda), 노려보다 (noryeoboda)
• Polish: utkwić wzrok bazyliszka pf (w + accusative)
• Portuguese: olhar feio, fulminar com o olhar
• Spanish: fulminar con la mirada

See also

• dirty look
• evil eye
• if looks could kill