side-eye

noun

ˈsīd-ˌī 

variants or less commonly side eye

plural side-eyes also side eyes

: a sidelong glance or gaze (as of 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

… is super quiet, so your roommate won't give you the side-eye every time you turn it on.

—Daniel Boan

… the singular focus on results washes away concerns about getting the side-eye from a colleague judging you for not being in your cubicle …

—Jack O'Laughlin, quoted in The Chicago Tribune

side-eye verb, transitive + intransitive

side-eyed; side-eyeing or side-eying; side-eyes

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

Wall Street, to its credit, has (and still has) plenty of reason to give AAT the side-eye. —Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026

Whoopi Goldberg stopped mid-sentence to side-eye Sara Haines' cell phone going off live on The View. —Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 15 June 2026

Vonn, 41, who was in town for the Met Gala earlier last week, also posted a flirty side-eye comment on 30-year-old Bailet's recent shirtless Instagram post. —Gillian Telling, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026

These faux pas can end up creating more work for the host, cause a little side-eye, or create awkward tension or frustration. —Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 29 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1797, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for side-eye

• abscissae
• adonai
• alibi
• alkali
• alumni
• amoebae
• amplify
• annuli
• beautify
• brachii
• butterfly
• calculi