see stars

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Homophones: sea stars

Verb

see stars (third-person singular simple present sees stars, present participle seeing stars, simple past saw stars, past participle seen stars)

1. (idiomatic) To experience apparent flashing lights in one's field of vision, especially after receiving a blow to the head.
   • 1868, Louisa May Alcott, Little Women, ch. 43:

     Of course they bumped their heads smartly together, saw stars, and both came up flushed and laughing, without the ball, to resume their seats, wishing they had not left them.

   • 1995, Michael Crichton, "Arts & Media: Excerpt from Jurassic Park: The Lost World," Time, 25 Sept.:

     Malcolm hit his head and fell to the floor, seeing stars.

   • 2009, William C. Rhoden, "A Hall of Fame Linebacker Turns 50," New York Times, 9 Feb. (retrieved 26 Sep 2010):

     During his 13-year career as a game-changing NFL linebacker, Lawrence Taylor hit opponents so hard he often made them see stars.

Translations

experience flashing lights

• French: voir trente-six chandelles (fr)
• German: alle Sterne am Himmel leuchten sehen
• Greek: βλέπω αστεράκια (vlépo asterákia)
• Italian: vedere le stelle
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: ver estrelas
• Romanian: vedea stele verzi
• Spanish: ver estrellas
• Walloon: vey des stoeles e plin djoû (wa)