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

If someone wants to come in a costume, Hayman said folks won't be judgmental or give side-eye. —Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Feb. 2026

The tenuous logic, the straight-on side-eye of a simple sentence. —Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026

As alliances shift and accusations fly, the series has become appointment viewing, sparking debates, theories, and side-eye across social media each week. —Holly Alvarado, Oc Register, 28 Jan. 2026

The confused side-eye from Doncic was priceless. —Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1797, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for side-eye

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