1
: having or marked by unsophisticated or uncritical acceptance or admiration : naive
wide-eyed innocence
2
: having the eyes wide open especially with wonder or astonishment

Examples of wide-eyed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Bo Foxworth is amusingly wide-eyed and self-satisfied as Orgon. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2024 He’s dealt a slight disadvantage in this regard since his character is written as an over-the-top, wide-eyed optimist with colorful quirks — a Manic Pixie Dream Boy for the introverted Doom. Courtney Howard, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024 Derek didn’t actually overhear her and Mickey talking, but played along and coaxed a confession out of his duplicitous, wide-eyed girlfriend. EW.com, 4 Mar. 2024 The menagerie spans North America’s largest snake to its smallest falcon to Florida’s only endemic mammal — the wide-eyed, sand-loving Florida mouse. Ryan Ballogg, Miami Herald, 29 Feb. 2024 In both shots, the feline is wide-eyed and partially wet. Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 28 Feb. 2024 In the artwork, Cyrus is captured wide-eyed and wild-haired in a blue fur coat against a grey background. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2024 At least that’s what Whyte thought until the day a wide-eyed half-Mexican third-grader everyone called Papi skated in. Iliana Limón Romero, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2024 Many of the injured are frantic, wide-eyed; others stare vacantly ahead. Alexander Smith, NBC News, 13 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wide-eyed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1789, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of wide-eyed was in 1789

Dictionary Entries Near wide-eyed

Cite this Entry

“Wide-eyed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wide-eyed. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

wide-eyed

adjective
ˈwīd-ˈīd
1
: having the eyes wide open especially with wonder or astonishment
2

More from Merriam-Webster on wide-eyed

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