Side eye is a sidelong look, made by glancing at someone out of the corners of your eyes without turning your head. Dictionary.com says it conveys doubt, shock, scorn or criticism. Merriam-Webster adds suspicion, disapproval and veiled curiosity. Online, 'giving someone the side eye' means silently judging them, and you can also side-eye someone as a verb.
It's one of the most expressive looks humans have, and it says a lot without a word. That's probably why it took off online. Here's what side eye means, how to use it in a sentence, and the surprising fact that the phrase is more than two centuries old.
How the look works
Cambridge Dictionary describes it as a look in which you move your eyes to the side without turning your face, showing you're annoyed by someone, don't respect them, or don't believe what they're saying. Dictionary.com says it's made by looking at someone indirectly, out of the corners of the eyes.
The key is that your face stays forward. Turning your whole head is a stare. Moving just your eyes is a side eye, and it's much more pointed. Cambridge even calls it a symbol of passive-aggressive criticism.
What side eye can mean
| Feeling | Example |
|---|---|
| Doubt | He says he'll be on time this week. Side eye. |
| Disapproval | Got the side eye for taking a call in the quiet carriage. |
| Suspicion | Who ate the last biscuit? Side eye to my brother. |
| Shock | When the waiter said the price of the bottle... side eye. |
| Veiled curiosity | Side-eyeing the new neighbours' delivery van. |
Merriam-Webster's definition, a sidelong glance or gaze 'as of scorn, suspicion, disapproval, or veiled curiosity', covers all of these. Wiktionary adds animosity and judgment, and lists near-synonyms like evil eye and stink eye.
Side eye as a noun and a verb
Dictionary.com points out that side eye works as both. You can give someone the side eye (noun), or you can side-eye them (verb). Merriam-Webster lists the verb forms: side-eyed, side-eyeing or side-eying, and side-eyes.
- Noun: 'She gave me the side eye when I walked in late.'
- Verb: 'I side-eyed him when he promised the meeting would be quick.'
- Figurative: Merriam-Webster quotes a 2026 Miami Herald line about a bank account 'giving you side-eye' over party plans.
Cambridge's examples are just as relatable: 'I sighed, gave him the side-eye and told him he was lying.' Both spellings, side eye and side-eye, are fine. Cambridge lists 'side eye' as an alternative.
Side eye is older than you think
This is the bit that surprises people. Dictionary.com says one of the earliest known uses goes back to a 1797 periodical, which talks about being 'looked upon with a side eye'. Merriam-Webster also dates the first known use of side-eye to 1797. Dictionary.com adds that it appears in James Joyce's 1922 novel Ulysses, and that the verb, to side-eye someone, goes back to at least 1916.
The look itself is older still. Dictionary.com notes that Shakespeare called this kind of look askance, and Charles Dickens used 'sidelong glance' in his 1850 novel David Copperfield. So people have been judging each other out of the corners of their eyes for a very long time. We just found a catchier name.
Why side eye took off online
Dictionary.com says that since the 2010s, side eye has been used much more often in news and social media. It's a reaction that fits perfectly in a GIF or a meme, which is exactly what the internet runs on. Wiktionary's citations include a 2017 Time piece on a recent history of notable celebrity side-eye, and a 2013 Golden Globes photo of George Clooney appearing to give some.
Dictionary.com also lists two songs called 'Side Eye': a 2006 track by British singer-songwriter Julie Collings and a 2016 track by American R&B artist Rob Scott.
It also suits the way we talk online now. A lot of internet humour is about reacting rather than explaining, and side eye is a reaction you can describe in two words. 'Side eye' at the end of a post does the same job as a raised eyebrow across a dinner table.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
The side eye emojis
There's no official side eye emoji, but Dictionary.com says two are commonly used for it: the unamused face 😒 and the eyes emoji 👀. Cambridge's example sentence even says 'the side-eye emoji is perhaps the most flexible emoji in meaning and usage'.
Use 😒 when you mean disapproval or 'really?'. Use 👀 when it's more curiosity or 'I see what's going on here'. My guide to the eyes emoji goes deeper on that one, and the smirk is the one to reach for when you're judging and enjoying it.
How to describe side eye in a sentence
- 'The cat gave me serious side eye when I moved its bowl.'
- 'Side-eyeing anyone who says they love Mondays.'
- 'I'm side-eyeing that weather forecast.'
- 'My gran's side eye could stop traffic.'
Notice how often it's used for things, not people. A forecast, a sales email or a suspiciously cheap holiday can all get the side eye. That's the internet version: less a look, more a way of saying 'I don't believe this' in two words.
Is giving someone side eye rude?
In person, it can be. Cambridge's 'passive-aggressive' description is accurate: it's a way of criticising without saying anything. Online, saying 'side eye' about something is usually lighter, more a joke than an attack. If you're being honest about a doubt, though, a direct question beats a look. As ngl people say: sometimes it's better to just say it.
Frequently asked questions
What does it mean to give someone the side eye?
It means looking at them out of the corners of your eyes to show doubt, disapproval or suspicion.
Is side eye a noun or a verb?
Both. You can give someone the side eye, or side-eye them, as Dictionary.com notes.
How old is the phrase side eye?
Merriam-Webster and Dictionary.com date the earliest known use to 1797.
What emoji means side eye?
Dictionary.com says the unamused face 😒 and the eyes emoji 👀 are commonly used for it.
Is side eye rude?
It can be. Cambridge describes the side-eye as a symbol of passive-aggressive criticism.
Is it side eye or side-eye?
Both are used. Cambridge and Merriam-Webster list side-eye, and Cambridge gives side eye as an alternative.
