Thousand-yard stare

The thousand-yard stare (also referred to as the two-thousand-yard stare) is a blank, unfocused gaze of people experiencing dissociation due to acute stress or traumatic events. The phrase was originally used to describe war combatants and the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) they exhibited but is now also used to refer to an unfocused gaze seen in people under a stressful situation, or in people with certain mental health conditions.

The thousand-yard stare is often associated with shell shock, combat stress reaction, and other trauma-related mental health conditions.