eyeball

1 of 3

noun

eye·​ball ˈī-ˌbȯl How to pronounce eyeball (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The retina is a layer of tissue at the back of the eyeball that converts images into nerve signals that are sent to the brain, and the peripheral retina is the outer portion, which gives us side vision. Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2025 What about plain-Jane organic sheep who’ve been hijacked by a grapefruit-size eyeball with tentacles? Chris Klimek, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
And some two weeks after the incident, the agency found that the hospital had violated EMTALA in three ways, including failing to provide even the most basic care through a medical examination of the patient — beyond just eyeballing him. Eli Cahan, ProPublica, 23 Sep. 2025 The second one, however, is that -- just eyeballing it! Drew Vonscio, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
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 See All Example Sentences for eyeball

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of eyeball was in 1575

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Eyeball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eyeball. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

eyeball

noun
eye·​ball
ˈī-ˌbȯl
: the eye of a vertebrate

Medical Definition

eyeball

noun
eye·​ball ˈī-ˌbȯl How to pronounce eyeball (audio)
: the more or less globular capsule of the vertebrate eye formed by the sclera and cornea together with their contained structures

More from Merriam-Webster on eyeball

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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