eyes
A1Neutral, used in all registers from highly formal to highly informal.
Definition
Meaning
The plural of 'eye', the paired organs of sight in humans and animals.
Also used metaphorically for observation, attention, perception, judgment, or the central or most important feature of something (e.g., 'the eye of a storm').
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
While primarily a count noun for the physical organs, 'eyes' is frequently used in a wide range of idiomatic expressions and metaphors relating to vision, perspective, surveillance, emotion, and aesthetics.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. Minor orthographic preferences may appear in derivatives (e.g., 'eyeball' vs. 'eye-ball' in compounds is rare). The idiomatic use 'give someone the eye' (to look at amorously/suspiciously) is common in both.
Connotations
Identical core connotations. Cultural references like 'the eyes of Texas' (US) or 'eyes down for a full house' (UK, bingo call) are region-specific.
Frequency
Equally frequent and fundamental in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
have + eyes (e.g., She has green eyes.)with + ADJ + eyes (e.g., a child with curious eyes)VERB + one's eyes (e.g., He closed his eyes.)eyes + VERB (e.g., Her eyes sparkled.)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “see eye to eye”
- “the apple of someone's eye”
- “eyes in the back of one's head”
- “pull the wool over someone's eyes”
- “a bird's-eye view”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
"We need to keep a close eye on the quarterly figures."
Academic
"The study was conducted through the eyes of a cultural anthropologist."
Everyday
"Her eyes lit up when she saw the cake."
Technical
"The algorithm is designed to track eyes for fatigue detection."
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He eyed the last biscuit suspiciously.
- The detective eyed up the suspect from across the room.
American English
- She eyed the proposal with great interest.
- He was eyeing the competition carefully.
adverb
British English
- (Rare as a pure adverb) She looked at him eye-to-eye.
American English
- (Rare as a pure adverb) They stood eye-to-eye on the issue.
adjective
British English
- She gave him an eye-watering estimate for the repair.
- It was an eye-catching display in the shop window.
American English
- He suffered an eye-opening defeat.
- The report contained some eye-popping statistics.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My sister has brown eyes.
- Close your eyes and go to sleep.
- I see it with my own eyes.
- She couldn't believe her eyes when she won.
- Keep your eyes on the road while driving.
- The child's eyes were full of curiosity.
- In the eyes of the law, everyone is equal.
- He rolled his eyes in exasperation at the suggestion.
- The project needs fresh eyes to review the plans.
- The artist's work provides a lens through which to view the period, offering us the eyes of a contemporary.
- His eyes were perpetually downcast, as if bearing the weight of the world.
- They managed the crisis under the watchful eyes of the international media.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of the letter 'i' in the middle of 'eyes' as a nose between two eyes: e-YE-S.
Conceptual Metaphor
EYES ARE CONTAINERS (for emotion): 'eyes full of tears'; EYES ARE PERCEIVING INSTRUMENTS: 'the eyes of the world are on you'; SEEING IS UNDERSTANDING: 'I see what you mean' (related).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid directly translating Russian phrases like 'у меня есть глаза' as 'I have eyes' for 'I can see'; use 'I can see'.
- The Russian construction 'глаза разбегаются' is an idiom; a direct translation 'eyes are running away' is nonsensical.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'He has a blue eyes.' (Correct: 'He has blue eyes.')
- Incorrect spelling: 'eys', 'eyse'.
- Overusing 'eyes' in translations where 'look', 'gaze', or 'glance' is more natural.
Practice
Quiz
What does the idiom 'see eye to eye' mean?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, 'eye' is the singular form (e.g., 'She has an eye for detail'). 'Eyes' is the standard plural used when referring to the pair.
'Eyes' refers to the physical organs. 'Sight' or 'vision' refers to the faculty or ability of seeing (e.g., 'He lost his sight'). They are not interchangeable.
In English, body parts are described with adjectives (tired, sore, blue) or with nouns in possessive constructions (I have sleepy eyes). We don't typically use the noun 'sleep' as an adjective for eyes.
The verb 'to eye' forms its -ing form as 'eyeing' or less commonly 'eying'. Both are accepted, but 'eyeing' is often preferred to clearly preserve the root word.
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