What does "eyeball" mean?
The ball of the eye.
Eyeball
/ˈaɪ.bɔl/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The ball of the eye.
- Grammar: eyeball is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: appraise, approximate, baby blues, banjo eyes.
- Useful contrasts: avert gaze, ignore, look away.
- Usage evidence: "If it's a light workout, OK." "Right, so will we allow crotch-kicking and eyeball crushing?"
How to use "eyeball"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "eyeball" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "eyeball" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "eyeball" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "eyeball" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "eyeball" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "appraise" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "eyeball", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The ball of the eye.
"Near-synonym: eye"
- 2 the ball-shaped capsule containing the vertebrate eye wordnet
- 3 An instance of eyeballing something.
"Give this report an eyeball, will you please?"
- 4 Surveillance. informal
"Intelligence work is necessarily limited in scope by the capacity of national surveillance systems. […] Ultimately, it is only when you have an 'eyeball' or the electronic equivalent on a suspect that you have a reasonable chance of a preventive intervention."
- 5 A readership or viewership. in-plural
"We need compelling content for the new Web site so we can attract more eyeballs."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A face-to-face meeting. slang
"We had an eyeball last year."
- 7 A favourite or pet; the apple of someone's eye. Caribbean
Verb
- 1 To gauge, estimate or judge by eye, rather than measuring precisely; to look or glance at. informal, transitive
"A good cook can often just eyeball the correct quantities of ingredients."
- 2 look at wordnet
- 3 To stare at intently. informal, transitive
"Are you eyeballing my girl?"
- 4 To roll one's eyes. intransitive
"Guardiola strode on to the pitch at half-time to remonstrate with the Spanish referee, Antonio Mateu Lahoz, but went too far with his eyeballing and matador-like hand movements. He was “upstairs”, in the Colin Bell stand, to watch Liverpool’s second-half turnaround and a dismal seven days for City take another turn for the worse."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
""If it's a light workout, OK." "Right, so will we allow crotch-kicking and eyeball crushing?""
Common questions
What is a synonym for "eyeball"?
Common synonyms include: appraise, approximate, baby blues, banjo eyes, be vigilant, be watchful.
How do you use "eyeball" in a sentence?
"If it's a light workout, OK." "Right, so will we allow crotch-kicking and eyeball crushing?"
How do you pronounce "eyeball"?
Pronounced /ˈaɪ.bɔl/.
Etymology
From eye + ball. Compare Middle English balle off the eye, balle of þe eyȝe (“eyeball”, literally “ball of the eye”).