side-eye

noun

variants or less commonly side eye
: a sidelong glance or gaze especially when expressing scorn, suspicion, disapproval, or veiled curiosity
The guy who stole your heart as the class clown can seem like just a clown out of his original context, like when people are giving him side-eye for cracking lame jokes in the hostess line.Lauren Panariello
often used with the
… the singular focus on results washes away concerns about getting the side-eye from a colleague judging you for not being in your cubicle …The Chicago Tribune
side-eye verb, transitive + intransitive
She wears clothes that would have Kerry Washington's Olivia Pope side-eyeing in envy. Kevin Fallon

Examples of side-eye in a Sentence

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.
One is a fearless, intelligent rape survivor and police detective on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, while the other is best known as a 1950s bombshell whose voluptuous assets once even caused Sophia Loren to give her some serious side-eye. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 27 June 2025 Not Everything Is a Hit While many upgrades draw admiration, some outdoor trends are generating neighborhood side-eyes. Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 June 2025 Blackwell then gave a cheeky side-eye directly to the camera, preemptively admitting that the title would in fact have her former stage name. Charna Flam, People.com, 10 June 2025 All the glitter, gloss and side-eye in the world couldn’t have prepared Rae — or the general public — for the string of viral songs that would come four or five years later. Tiana Denicola, Variety, 30 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for side-eye

Word History

First Known Use

1797, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of side-eye was in 1797

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Side-eye.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/side-eye. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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