give someone the eye en · VERB
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Meanings
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(idiomatic) To show flirtatious signs or sexual interest/attraction with one's eyes.
I saw him giving me the eye as soon as I entered the bar.
She was sort of cute, the blonde one, and I started giving her the old eye a little bit, but just then the waiter came up for my order.
1951 July 16, J[erome] D[avid] Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, Boston, Mass.: Little, Brown and Company, →OCLC, page 90:
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(idiomatic) To give someone the stink eye.
I saw him giving me the eye as soon as I entered the office.
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(idiomatic) To give someone the evil eye.
I saw him giving me the eye as soon as I entered the town square.
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see give, someone, the, eye; for example, to hand someone the eye of a hook and eye.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| gave someone the eye | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| giving someone the eye | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| gives someone the eye | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| given someone the eye | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic |
Coordinates
Synonyms
give someone the glad eye · eye up
Translations (6)
ru стро́ить гла́зки (show flirtatious signs) · pl puszczać oko (show flirtatious signs) · pl puścić oko (show flirtatious signs) · cmn 抛媚眼 (show flirtatious signs) · nrf faithe des ilyies (show flirtatious signs) · fi pitää silmäpeliä (show flirtatious signs)