variants
or less commonly side eye
plural side-eyes also side eyes
: a sidelong glance or gaze (as of scorn, suspicion, disapproval, or veiled curiosity)
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.—Lauren Panariello
—often used with the… is super quiet, so your roommate won't give you the side-eye every time you turn it on.—Daniel Boan
… the singular focus on results washes away concerns about getting the side-eye from a colleague judging you for not being in your cubicle …—Jack O'Laughlin, quoted in The Chicago Tribune
side-eye
verb, transitive + intransitive
side-eyed; side-eyeing or side-eying; side-eyes
She wears clothes that would have Kerry Washington's Olivia Pope side-eyeing in envy.
—Kevin Fallon
Cite this Entry
“Side-eye.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/side-eye. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
