averted gaze
Looking deliberately elsewhere
Averted gaze describes eyes deliberately turned away from someone or something.
It often signals discomfort, shame, or the wish to avoid confrontation: She spoke with averted gaze, unable to meet his eyes.
In psychology and body language analysis, averted gaze may indicate deception, submission, or social anxiety—though cultural norms vary widely on what eye contact is appropriate.
- shyReserved and retiring
- downcastSad or despondent
- evasionAct of escaping detection
- bashfulUncomfortably self-conscious
- social anxietyFear of being judged
glance · turned away · body language · sidelong · uncomfortable · shame · guilt · eyes · floor · nervous · timid · withdrawn · coy · modest · deflected · avoiding · embarrassed · submissive
- eye signalseye contact, staring, blinking, winking, glancing
- timiditybashfulness, shyness, timidness, timorousness, meekness
- submission gestureskowtow, genuflection, genuflect, genuflecting, prostration
averted gazestare
Prolonged fixed gaze
fixed stare · fixed gaze · steady gaze · locked eyes · piercing gaze
avert, averted, averting, averts, aversion, aversive, gaze, gazes, gazed