# bat an eyelid

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/bat-an-eyelid
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To react in any slight way; to respond; to care.

## Examples

- She did not even bat an eyelid when I told her the news.
- The experienced negotiator did not bat an eyelid when the other side threatened to walk away from the deal.
- Despite the chaotic scene unfolding before him, the seasoned detective did not bat an eyelid, remaining focused entirely on the evidence at hand.

## Origin

From *bat*, in the sense of a flutter, first recorded circa 1900. The term refers to the rapid movement of the eyelashes and emerged as a variation of the earlier nineteenth-century phrase *bat one's eyes*.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.