deep-set eyes

Meaning

1. 1nounplural

   Eyes that sit far back in their sockets, so the brow bone seems to stand out above them.

   Grammar: Always plural when speaking of a person's eyes: she has deep-set eyes.

   Patterns

   • have deep-set eyes
   • someone's deep-set eyes

   My grandfather had deep-set eyes that seemed to watch you from the shadows.

   Deep-set eyes can look darker in photographs because the brow casts a shadow.

   The actor's deep-set eyes gave his face a serious, thoughtful look.

Common combinations

dark, deep-set eyes

The detective had dark, deep-set eyes and a quiet voice.

have deep-set eyes

Many members of his family have deep-set eyes.

makeup for deep-set eyes

She searched online for makeup for deep-set eyes.

piercing, deep-set eyes

The old sailor fixed him with piercing, deep-set eyes.

deep-set eyes and a heavy brow

The statue showed a man with deep-set eyes and a heavy brow.

Synonyms and how they differ

sunken eyes

Sunken eyes suggests tiredness, illness or hunger, while deep-set eyes simply describes natural face shape.

hooded eyes

Hooded eyes refers to a fold of skin drooping over the eyelid, which is a different feature from how far back the eyes sit.

hollow eyes

Hollow eyes is more negative and dramatic, implying exhaustion or emptiness rather than a neutral trait.

Opposites

Word family

deep-set adjective

positioned far back or far down in something

deeply adverb

to a great depth

set verb

to place or position something

deepen verb

to become or make deeper

Commonly confused: deep-set eyes or sunken eyes?

Practice

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