angaffen

Definition & meaning

angaffen means to stare at someone or something in a rude, intrusive, or foolishly fascinated way. It often suggests that the staring is unwelcome or that the person doing it is gawking.

It is more negative and colloquial than simply “to look at.”

Grammar & Word origin

angaffen is a separable verb: in a main clause, the prefix an- moves to the end.

• jemanden angaffen — to gawk at someone
• Er gafft sie an. — He stares at her.
• Er hat sie angegafft. — He stared at her.

The verb is formed from an- and gaffen, meaning to gawk or stare vacantly.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

• anstarren ↗ — to stare fixedly; more neutral than angaffen, though it can also sound unpleasant.
• anglotzen ↗ — to gawk at; very colloquial and similarly dismissive.
• gaffen ↗ — to gape or gawk; often describes staring in general, without emphasizing who or what is being stared at.

Antonyms

There is no exact opposite, but these can express the opposite action or attitude:

• wegsehen ↗ — to look away.
• ignorieren ↗ — to ignore; this means paying no attention, rather than specifically looking away.

Common phrases & collocations

• jemanden unverhohlen angaffen ↗ — to stare openly at someone.
• Leute angaffen ↗ — to gawk at people.
• Hör auf, mich anzugaffen! ↗ — “Stop staring at me!”