English Words Usage

EYE as "part of the body" (noun)

ADJ

left, right

amber, blue, brown, dark, golden, green, grey, hazel

big, huge, large, enormous, wide: She just looked at me with those big blue eyes of hers. His eyes were wide with horror

narrow

close-set

wide-apart, wide-set

deep/ deep-set, heavy-lidded, hollow, hooded, sunken

protuberant

beady, piggy: baggy, puffy, swollen | bleary, bloodshot, dark-ringed, exhausted, red, red-rimmed,

sleepy, tired, weary: Her dark-ringed eyes showed that she hadn't slept

bright, brilliant, luminous, lustrous, sparkling, starry

clear, limpid, liquid

soft, velvety, warm

cloudy, misty, moist, rheumy, tear-filled, tearful, watery

dry

sightless, unseeing

short-sighted

half-closed, narrowed

unblinking

dazed, unfocused

mad, staring, wild

angry, cruel, fierce

anxious

greedy, hungry: The dog's hungry eyes were on my sandwich

curious, prying: He drew the curtains to make sure no prying eyes saw what he was doing

intelligent, keen, sharp, shrewd

penetrating, piercing

cold, expressionless, glassy, glazed, lifeless, steely, vacant

downcast, sad, solemn, soulful

VERB + EYE

open

close, shut

lift, raise

cast, turn: I cast my eyes around the room but couldn't see any familiar faces. He turned his eyes to the door when he heard the handle turning

avert: She averted her eyes from his face

screw up: He screwed up his eyes against the glare of the sun

strain: I didn't want to strain my eyes to read, so I put the light on

protect: Skiers wear goggles to protect their eyes from the sun

shade, shield: He held up the newspaper to shield his eyes from the sun

test

gouge: She reached up and tried to gouge her attacker's eyes

catch: A movement in the reeds caught my eye (= attracted my attention)

look sb (straight) in, meet: She looked her father straight in the eye and answered his question truthfully. He seemed unwilling to meet my eye

EYE + VERB

dilate, fly open, grow wide, open, round, widen: Her eyes dilated with horror at what she had done. Her eyes flew open in surprise. His eyes rounded in mock amazement

close, shut

stream, water: My eyes stream when I chop onions

hold sth: His eyes held a sceptical gleam

be alight with sth, blaze, flare, flash, gleam, glint, glisten, glitter, glow, light up, shine, smoulder, spark, sparkle, twinkle: She laughed, her eyes alight with excitement. His eyes blazed with menace

mirror sth, reflect sth: His eyes reflected his anguish

blur, cloud, brim/fill with tears, mist

darken, dim, dull, glaze (over): Her eyes glazed over when I said I worked in dictionaries

harden: His eyes hardened as he remembered how they had laughed at him

narrow, sharpen

burn, hurt, prick, prickle, smart, sting: Her eyes prickled with unshed tears

be drawn to sb/sth, follow sb/sth, turn to sb/sth: His eyes were drawn to a bundle of papers in the corner. My eyes followed his every move

fall on sb/sth, settle on sb/sth

dwell on sb/sth, fasten on sb/sth, fix on sb/sth, be fixed on sb/sth, be intent on sb/sth, focus on sb/sth, gaze (up) at sb/sth, be glued to sb/sth, linger on sb/ sth, lock on sb/sth, rest on sb/sth, be riveted on/to sb/sth, stare (at) sb/sth, be trained on sb/sth, watch sb/sth: She tried to sit up, her eyes fixed on Jean's face

look at sb/sth, peer at sb/sth, regard sb/sth

glare at sb/sth

lock (together), meet: Their eyes locked together in a battle of wills

dart, flick, flicker, flit, glance, go, leap, move, run, shift: His eyes darted from face to face

roll, swivel: She tried the door, her eyes rolling in panic

dance: Her eyes danced with amusement

roam, rove: He let his eyes roam round the scene

drift, slide, slip, stray, wander: His eyes drifted over to Helen's chair

probe sth, rake sth, scan sth, scour sth, search sth, sweep sth: His eyes scanned the room as he entered

drop, fall, lower: Her eyes dropped to her lap as she answered

lift

bore into sb, lance (through) sb, pierce sb: She could feel the old lady's eyes bore into her

accustom to sth, adjust to sth, become/grow accustomed to sth: As my eyes accustomed to the darkness, I could make out a shape by the window

blink

crinkle (up), squint, wrinkle: His eyes crinkled up at the corners as he smiled. Her eyes squinted against the brightness

strain: My eyes strained to make anything out in the darkness

slant

bulge, pop: His eyes bulged in fury

betray sb/sth, give away sb/sth: His narrow eyes betrayed his impatience

question sb, quiz sb

smile

mock sb

appraise sb/sth, examine sb/sth, scrutinize sb/ sth, study sb/sth, survey sb/sth

take sth in: My eyes took in every detail as I entered the house for the first time in twenty years

EYE + NOUN

muscles, socket

contact: I knew he was lying because he wouldn't make eye contact with me

movement: Rapid eye movements frequently accompany dreaming

doctor, specialist, surgeon

hospital

operation, surgery, treatment

examination, test

complaint, damage, defect, disease, disorder, infection, injury, strain, trouble

drops: The doctor gave me eye drops to put in three times a day

protection: It is essential to wear some form of eye protection

make-up

level: Your computer screen should be at eye level so that you can work with your neck straight

PREP

in your ~s: There were tears in his eyes as he spoke. The sun was in my eyes and I couldn't see the road

under sb's ~: I want you under my eye (= where I can see you)

PHRASES

as far as the eye can see: The tide was out, leaving nothing but mud as far as the eye could see

before your very eyes: Before our very eyes, the bird snatched the fish from the plate and flew off

can't keep/take your eyes off sb/sth: He couldn't keep his eyes off the girl sitting opposite him

cast/raise/roll your eyes heavenwards (= to show that you are annoyed or impatient): She rolled her eyes heavenwards when she saw what her husband was wearing

a gleam/glint/ twinkle in sb's eye: He looked at me with a twinkle in his eye

have an eye on sb/ sth (= be watching): The store detective had his eye on a group of boys who were acting suspiciously

keep an eye on sb/sth: (= watch) Could you keep an eye on my bag while I go to the toilet?

keep an eye open/out for sb/sth: (= watch out for) I walked round the shops, keeping an eye out for bargains

out of the corner of your eye: Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Harry start forward

set eyes on sb/sth: From the moment he set eyes on her he knew that he wanted to marry her

to/with the naked/unaided eye: The planet should be visible to the naked eye (= without a telescope)

under sb's critical, watchful, etc. eye: The team went through their paces under their trainer's critical eye

with your own eyes: If I hadn't seen his jump with my own eyes, I would never have believed it possible

EYE as "ability to see" (noun)

ADJ

eagle, good, keen, quick, sharp: The children's eagle eyes spotted an ice-cream shop half a mile away. A surgeon needs a good eye and a steady hand

PREP

~ for: Her skill at working with wood is coupled to a keen eye for design

EYE as "way of seeing" (noun)

ADJ

careful, cautious, close, suspicious, wary, watchful

critical, stern

jaundiced

fresh, new: He saw his students with new eyes now that he had a child of his own

kindly, sympathetic

fatherly

discerning

experienced, expert, practised: To an expert eye, the painting is an obvious fake

inexperienced, untrained

artistic

PREP

in sb/sth's ~: She can do no wrong in his eyes. In the eyes of the law his knife was an offensive weapon

through sb's ~s: You need to look at your website through the user's eyes

to sb's ~: To my eye, the windows seem out of proportion

with a … ~: She viewed the findings with a critical eye

with the ~ of: He looked at the design with the eye of an engineer

PHRASES

in your mind's eye (= your imagination): He pictured the scene in his mind's eye