Word
side eye
Phoneticsside·eye
Definition
compound. a look where you turn your eyes to the side without moving your head. You use it to show that you do not trust someone, you are annoyed, or you think they are being silly.
compound. a sidelong glance expressing suspicion, disapproval, or contempt. Often used in digital contexts to describe a specific facial expression of judgment.
Examples
“She gave him a side eye when he made that joke.”
“The librarian gave the noisy teenagers a sharp side eye to signal they needed to be quiet.”
“While she didn't say anything out loud, her subtle side eye made it perfectly clear that she found his explanation for the missing files entirely unconvincing.”
Examples
simple
“She gave him a side eye when he made that joke.”
contextual
“The librarian gave the noisy teenagers a sharp side eye to signal they needed to be quiet.”
complex
“While she didn't say anything out loud, her subtle side eye made it perfectly clear that she found his explanation for the missing files entirely unconvincing.”
Usage
Often used as a compound noun; can also function as a verb in informal contexts ('to side-eye someone').
Real-World Examples
“Emily Maitlis was hailed for capturing the "mood of the nation" with an exasperated "side-eye" glance during an interview on Brexit with a Labour shadow minister.” “The Grammy winner was courtside last night with her husband Jay Z at Game 6 of the NBA Finals when she was spotted giving a neighbor some serious side eye.” “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.” “Remember when Michelle Obama gave some serious side-eye on Trump’s inauguration day?” Etymology
A compound of the words 'side' and 'eye'. While the physical gesture has existed for centuries, the specific term gained significant popularity in African American Vernacular English before entering mainstream global slang via social media in the 2010s.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/side-eye