English Reference

Word

eastwood

Phoneticseast·wood

/ˈistˌwʊd/

Definition

v. to stare at someone with a very serious, tough, or angry look. It comes from the way the actor Clint Eastwood looks in his famous cowboy movies.

v. to fix a person with a squinted, intimidating, or menacing gaze. Derived from the signature facial expression of actor Clint Eastwood; typically implies a performance of hyper-masculine toughness.

Examples

“He tried to eastwood the bouncer, but it didn't work.”

“The two rivals stood in the hallway, trying to eastwood each other until a teacher walked by.”

“Rather than engaging in a verbal argument, he chose to simply eastwood his opponent across the boardroom table, hoping his silent intensity would force a concession.”

Examples

simple

“He tried to eastwood the bouncer, but it didn't work.”

contextual

“The two rivals stood in the hallway, trying to eastwood each other until a teacher walked by.”

complex

“Rather than engaging in a verbal argument, he chose to simply eastwood his opponent across the boardroom table, hoping his silent intensity would force a concession.”

Usage

Transitive verb; often used in casual or humorous contexts to describe a specific type of tough-guy posturing.

Word family

This entry

Level
C2 · Proficiency
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

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