Example sentence with word eye?

Example: The deep blue eye stared back at me

What is eye? Pronunciation and usage in English

eye means . Learn how to pronounce and use eye through vivid examples and easy-to-understand exercises.

Definition & pronunciation of eye

eyenoun

/ʌɪ/

Okay, let's break down how to pronounce "eye" in English. It's a surprisingly tricky word for many learners!

The most common and generally accepted pronunciation is:

/aɪ/ (like the sound in "my," "fly," or "high")

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

The vowel sound: The core of the pronunciation is the diphthong, meaning it's a combination of two vowel sounds blended together. It starts with a short "a" sound (like in "apple") and then moves smoothly towards an "i" sound (like in "pig").
Emphasis: There's a very slight emphasis on the first syllable ("i"). It’s not a strong emphasis, but you definitely feel the "i" sound at the beginning.
Quick and Short: It's a very quick and short pronunciation. Don't linger on either syllable.

Tips for practicing:

Listen to native speakers: The best way to learn is to hear it! Listen to how native English speakers pronounce "eye" – here are some resources:
- Google Translate: Type "eye" into Google Translate and click the speaker icon.
- Forvo: https://forvo.com/word/ey/ – This website has pronunciations by native speakers from different regions.
- YouTube: Search for “how to pronounce eye” - you'll find many videos.
Record yourself: Record yourself saying the word and compare it to a native speaker's pronunciation.
Practice with minimal pairs: This means practicing words that sound very similar to "eye" but are pronounced differently (e.g., "buy," "bye," "tie"). This will help you fine-tune your mouth muscles.

Regional Variations:

While /aɪ/ is standard, you might hear slight variations in some regions:

Some American accents: Occasionally you might hear a more "short i" sound (like "ee") – /iː/ – but this is less common.
British English: Sometimes a slightly more rounded "ay" sound may be used.

To summarize: Aim for /aɪ/ (like "my") and listen closely to native speakers!

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Usage and examples with the word eye in English

Let's break down how to use the word "eye" in English! It's a surprisingly versatile word with many different meanings and uses. Here's a categorized breakdown:

1. The Physical Eye (The Organ)

Definition: The organ of sight.
Examples:
- “He has beautiful eyes.”
- “She closed her eyes in contentment.”
- “The doctor examined my eyes.”
- “A sudden flash of light hurt my eyes.”

2. Parts of the Eye

Pupil: The black part of the eye that controls the amount of light entering.
- “He dilated his pupils to see better.”
Iris: The colored part of the eye.
- “She has an iris the color of emerald green.”
Eyelid: The skin covering the eye.
- “She blinked her eyelids to dry them.”
Eyebrow: The hair above the eye.
- "He raised his eyebrows in surprise."

3. Figurative Meanings (Beyond Literal Sight)

This is where "eye" gets really interesting. It's often used metaphorically:

To Watch/Observe: “Keep an eye on the children.” (Meaning: watch them carefully)
- "I'm keeping an eye on the stock market."
To Scrutinize/Inspect: “The detective kept a close eye on the suspect.” (Meaning: watched extremely carefully)
To Consider/Think About: “I’ll give it your proposal an eye.” (Meaning: I’ll consider it.)
To Be Aware/Notice: "I had an eye for detail." (Meaning: I was very observant.)
A Keen Sense/Intuition: "She has an eye for beauty." (Meaning: She’s good at recognizing or appreciating beauty) "He has an eye for talent." (He's good at spotting talent)
To Look At: “Look me in the eye.” (Meaning: make direct eye contact – often implying honesty)

4. Phrases with "Eye"

In the eye of the storm: At the center of a violent storm.
With one eye: (Often used in older literature) - Describes someone intently focused on something. “He was studying with one eye on the book and one on the clock.”
An eye to the clock: Pay attention to the time.
To catch someone's eye: To attract someone's attention.
Have an eye on something: To be planning or thinking about something. "I've got my eye on that new car."

5. Idioms

“Once in a blue moon”: (Often used with “eye”) - Very rarely. “It only happens once in a blue moon.”
"Keep an eye out": Watch for something.

6. "Eye" as a Noun (Other Uses)

Eye contact: The act of looking directly into someone's eyes.
Eye color: The shade of a person’s eyes.
Eye socket: The cavity in the skull where the eye is located.
Eye witness: Someone who saw an event happen.
Eye test/Eye exam: A medical test to check the health of your eyes.

Resources to Learn More:

Merriam-Webster Dictionary: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eye
Cambridge Dictionary: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/eye
Oxford Learner's Dictionaries: https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/eye

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What are you trying to use "eye" in? (e.g., a sentence, a story, a specific situation?)

Synonyms for the word eye

Idioms of the word eye

the apple of somebody’s eye

a person or thing that is loved more than any other

She is the apple of her father's eye.

as far as the eye can/could see

to the horizon (= where the sky meets the land or sea)

The bleak moorland stretched on all sides as far as the eye could see.

bat your eyes/eyelashes

to open and close your eyes quickly, in a way that is supposed to be attractive

be all eyes

to be watching somebody/something carefully and with a lot of interest

The kids were all eyes as he slowly unwrapped the package.

beauty is in the eye of the beholder

(saying)people all have different ideas about what is beautiful

before/in front of somebody’s (very) eyes

in somebody’s presence; in front of somebody

He had seen his life's work destroyed before his very eyes.
Before our very eyes, the bird snatched the fish from the plate and flew off.

be up to your eyes in something

(informal)to have a lot of something to deal with

We're up to our eyes in work.

a bird’s-eye view (of something)

a view of something from a high position looking down

From the plane we had a bird's-eye view of Manhattan.

cast/run an eye/your eyes over something

to look at or examine something quickly

Could you just run your eyes over this report?
I cast my eyes around the room but couldn't see any familiar faces.

catch somebody’s eye

to attract somebody’s attention

Can you catch the waiter's eye?

clap/lay/set eyes on somebody/something

(informal)to see somebody/something

I haven't clapped eyes on them for weeks.
I hope I never set eyes on this place again!
Tom fell in love the moment he laid eyes on her.

cock an ear/eye at something/somebody

to look at or listen to something/somebody carefully and with a lot of attention

easy on the ear/eye

(informal)pleasant to listen to or look at

The room was painted in soft pastels that were easy on the eye.

easy on the eye

(informal)pleasant to look at

The room was painted in soft pastels that were easy on the eye.

my eye!

(old-fashioned, informal)used to show that you do not believe somebody/something

‘It's an antique.’ ‘An antique, my eye!’

an eye for an eye (and a tooth for a tooth)

(saying)used to say that you should punish somebody by doing to them what they have done to you or to somebody else

They advocate a justice system that works on the principle of an eye for an eye.

somebody’s eyes are bigger than their stomach

used to say that somebody has been greedy by taking more food than they can eat

feast your eyes (on somebody/something)

to look at somebody/something and get great pleasure

for somebody’s eyes only

to be seen only by a particular person

I'll lend you the letters but they're for your eyes only.

get your eye in

(British English)to practise so that you are able to make good judgements about a task or activity that you are doing

I've got my eye in now—the ball is landing just where I want it.

have an eye for something

to be able to judge if things look attractive, valuable, etc.

I've never had much of an eye for fashion.
She has an eye for a bargain.

have your eye on somebody

to be watching somebody carefully, especially to check that they do not do anything wrong

And remember, I'll have my eye on you so you'd better behave.
The store detective had his eye on a group of boys who were acting suspiciously.

to be thinking about asking somebody out, offering somebody a job, etc. because you think they are attractive, good at their job, etc.

He's got his eye on the new girl in your class.

have your eye on something

to be thinking about buying something

have eyes in the back of your head

to be aware of everything that is happening around you, even things that seem difficult or impossible to see

You can’t get away with anything in her class. She has eyes in the back of her head.

have (got) eyes like a hawk

to be able to notice or see everything

She's bound to notice that chipped glass. The woman has eyes like a hawk!

have one eye/half an eye on something

to look at or watch something while doing something else, especially in a secret way so that other people do not notice

During his talk, most of the delegates had one eye on the clock.

have a roving eye

(old-fashioned)to always be looking for the chance to have a new sexual relationship

hit somebody (straight/right) in the eye

to be very obvious to somebody

in the blink of an eye

very quickly; in a short time

in somebody’s eyes

in somebody’s opinion or according to the way that they see the situation

She can do no wrong in her father's eyes.
To Western eyes, it may seem that the city is overcrowded.

in the eyes of the law, world, etc.

according to the law, most people in the world, etc.

In the eyes of the law she is guilty, though few ordinary people would think so.
In the eyes of the law his knife was an offensive weapon.

in the public eye

well known to many people through television, newspapers, the internet, etc.

She doesn't want her children growing up in the public eye.

in the twinkling of an eye

very quickly

Suddenly, in the twinkling of an eye, her whole life had been turned upside down.

keep a close eye/watch on somebody/something

to watch somebody/something carefully

Over the next few months we will keep a close eye on sales.

keep your ears/eyes open (for somebody/something)

to listen or look out for somebody/something that you might hear or see

keep an eye on somebody/something

to take care of somebody/something and make sure that they are not harmed, damaged, etc.

We've asked the neighbours to keep an eye on the house for us while we are away.
Could you keep an eye on my bag while I go to the toilet?

keep your eye on the ball

to continue to give your attention to what is most important

keep an eye open/out (for somebody/something)

to look for somebody/something while you are doing other things

Police have asked residents to keep an eye out for anything suspicious.
I walked around the store, keeping an eye out for bargains.

keep your eyes open (for somebody/something)

to look out for somebody/something that you might see

keep your eyes peeled/skinned (for somebody/something)

(informal)to look out for somebody/something that you might see

We kept our eyes peeled for any signs of life.

keep a weather eye on somebody/something

to watch somebody/something carefully in case you need to take action

Keep a weather eye on your competitors.

look somebody in the eye(s)/face

to look straight at somebody without feeling embarrassed or ashamed

Can you look me in the eye and tell me you're not lying?
She looked her father straight in the eye and answered his question truthfully.
I'll never be able to look her in the face again!

make eyes at somebody | give somebody the eye

(informal)to look at somebody in a way that shows that you find them sexually attractive

He's definitely giving you the eye!

meet somebody’s eye(s) | meet somebody’s gaze, look, etc. | people’s eyes meet

if you meet somebody’s eye(s), you look directly at them as they look at you; if two people’s eyes meet, they look directly at each other

She was afraid to meet my eye.
Their eyes met across the crowded room.
She met his gaze without flinching.

if a sight meets your eyes, you see it

A terrible sight met their eyes.

your mind’s eye

your imagination

He pictured the scene in his mind's eye.

the naked eye

the normal power of your eyes without the help of an instrument

The planet should be visible with/to the naked eye.

not bat an eyelid

(informal)to show no surprise or concern when something unusual happens

She didn't bat an eyelid when I told her my news.

not believe your ears/eyes

(informal)to be very surprised at something you hear/see

I couldn't believe my eyes when she walked in.

not believe your eyes

(informal)to be very surprised at something you see

I couldn't believe my eyes when she walked in.

not a dry eye in the house

(humorous)used to say that everyone was very emotional about something

There wasn't a dry eye in the house when they announced their engagement.

not see eye to eye with somebody (on something)

to not share the same views as somebody about something

The two of them have never seen eye to eye on politics.

not (be able to) take your eyes off somebody/something

to find somebody/something so interesting, attractive, etc. that you watch them all the time

He couldn't keep his eyes off the girl sitting opposite him.

one in the eye (for somebody/something)

(informal)a result, action, etc. that is disappointing or a defeat for somebody/something

The appointment of a woman was one in the eye for male domination.

only have eyes for/have eyes only for somebody

to be in love with only one particular person

He's only ever had eyes for his wife.

open your/somebody’s eyes (to something)

to realize or make somebody realize the truth about something

Travelling really opens your eyes to other cultures.

please the eye

to be very attractive to look at

pull the wool over somebody’s eyes

(informal)to hide your real actions or intentions from somebody by making them believe something that is not true

see, look at, etc. something through somebody’s eyes

to think about or see something the way that another person sees it

Try looking at it through her eyes for a change.
Events are seen through the eyes of a Polish refugee.

see something out of the corner of your eye

to see something by accident or not very clearly because you see it from the side of your eye and are not looking straight at it

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him coming closer.

shut/close your eyes to something

to pretend that you have not noticed something so that you do not have to deal with it

You can't just close your eyes to his violence.
They seem intent on shutting their eyes to the problems of pollution.

a sight for sore eyes

(informal)a person or thing that you are pleased to see; something that is very pleasant to look at

take your eye off the ball

to stop giving your attention to what is most important

there is more to somebody/something than meets the eye

a person or thing is more complicated or interesting than you might think at first

turn a blind eye (to something)

to pretend not to notice something bad that is happening, so you do not have to do anything about it

The authorities were either unaware of the problem or they turned a blind eye to it.

under the (watchful) eye of somebody

being watched carefully by somebody

The children played under the watchful eye of their father.
I want you under my eye.

what the eye doesn’t see (the heart doesn’t grieve over)

(saying)if a person does not know about something that they would normally think was bad, then it cannot hurt them

What does it matter if I use his flat while he’s away? What the eye doesn’t see…!

with an eye for/on/to the main chance

(British English, usually disapproving)with the hope of using a particular situation in order to gain some advantage for yourself

with your eyes open

fully aware of the possible problems or results of a particular course of action

I went into this with my eyes open so I guess I only have myself to blame.

with your eyes shut/closed

very easily, without thinking about it

I've made this trip so often, I could do it with my eyes shut.

with an eye to something/to doing something

with the intention of doing something

He bought the warehouse with an eye to converting it into a hotel.