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

When an Instagram video with nearly 100 million views likened his appearance to a green onion — its wiry roots standing in as his hair — Haaland responded in the comments with a side-eyeing dog GIF. — Kaitlyn Huamani, Fortune, 13 July 2026

On the day of our video chat, Alejandro and Estevan—currently on tour with Jack Johnson—are spending a morning holed up in their hotel rooms and understandably side-eyeing TVs in the background. — Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 9 July 2026

But Susan’s hostility is more focused, side-eyeing her daughter-in-law even at the funeral. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026

In the early 2010s, Snoop Dogg became known for incorporating a variety of soccer jerseys into his wardrobe, even those of warring teams, drawing some side-eyes from die-hard fans. — Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 28 June 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