Eye-opener

noun, slang

noun, slang ·Moderate ·High school level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Something that causes the eyes to open, or that opens the eyes. literally
  2. 2
    Something that provides a sudden insight, or makes something clear that was previously mysterious. informal
  3. 3
    A startling or shocking revelation. idiomatic, informal

    "A visit to the slaughterhouse was a real eye-opener to anyone who thought they understood where their food came from."

  4. 4
    A strong alcoholic beverage, especially one consumed in the morning. euphemistic, informal

    "As soon as I got on the plane I asked the flight attendant for an eye-opener, but all he had to offer was orange juice."

  5. 5
    An attractive woman. informal

    "Near-synonym: eye candy"

Synonyms

All synonyms
aperitifbeautyblockbusterblowboltbomb

Example

More examples

"The pretty girl in the bikini was an eye-opener on the beach."

Etymology

From eye + opener.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.