eyeball

1 of 3

noun

eye·​ball ˈī-ˌbȯl 

1

: the more or less globular capsule of the vertebrate eye formed by the sclera and cornea together with their contained structures

2

eyeballs plural : people who view something (such as an advertisement)

websites competing for eyeballs

eyeball

2 of 3

verb

eyeballed; eyeballing; eyeballs

transitive verb

: to look at intently especially in making an evaluation or choice

diners eyeballing the menu

eyeball the competition

eyeball

3 of 3

adjective

: based on observation

eyeball judgment

Examples of eyeball in a Sentence

Verb

The children were eyeballing the desserts.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Multitasking was the order of the day Saturday with Bears-Browns, Cubs-Cardinals and White Sox-Tigers games all competing for Chicago's eyeballs on screens of all sizes. — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026

Vitriol not new, can’t be ignored There are so many more eyeballs on the WNBA now, with viewership 17% higher than last season’s record-setting year. — Doug Feinberg, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026

Verb

Pope makes a homemade bomb by eyeballing every measurement, and no one dies. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026

Canepa said the weather service is eyeballing what the ripple effect of that hurricane will be on low pressure in the upper northwest and the high pressure near the Great Basin that caused a heat wave last week. — Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2026

Adjective

Eyelid spasms differ from eyeball spasms, ophthalmologists said. — Lindsey Bever, Washington Post, 27 July 2024

And for some of them — not all of them — their intentions are just eyeball time online. — Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 22 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1575, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1901, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1914, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing eyeball

• eyeball-to-eyeball
• hairy eyeball

Rhymes for eyeball

• aerosol
• alcohol
• arbitral
• basketball
• butanol
• cannonball
• carbinol
• cortisol
• ethanol
• fireball
• gasohol
• gossypol

Kids Definition

eyeball

noun

eye·​ball

ˈī-ˌbȯl

: the eye of a vertebrate

Medical Definition

eyeball

noun

eye·​ball ˈī-ˌbȯl 

: the more or less globular capsule of the vertebrate eye formed by the sclera and cornea together with their contained structures