Meaning & use
eye-catching
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivecomparableapproving
So bright, bold or unusual to look at that people notice it straight away.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after 'be': an eye-catching poster, or the poster is eye-catching.
Patterns
- an eye-catching design
- be eye-catching
The bakery's window display was so eye-catching that a crowd gathered outside.
She wore an eye-catching red coat that stood out in the grey crowd.
The company's eye-catching logo is recognized all over the world.
Word forms
| comparative | more eye-catching |
|---|---|
| superlative | most eye-catching |
Common combinations
- eye-catching design
- The magazine cover has an eye-catching design in neon colors.
- eye-catching headline
- An eye-catching headline made me click on the story.
- eye-catching display
- The shop created an eye-catching display for the holiday season.
- eye-catching color
- Yellow is an eye-catching color for a warning sign.
- eye-catching outfit
- His eye-catching outfit drew stares at the wedding.
Synonyms and how they differ
- striking
- 'Striking' can describe impressive beauty or contrast that stays in your mind, while 'eye-catching' stresses being noticed immediately.
- showy
- 'Showy' often criticizes something as flashy or too keen to impress, while 'eye-catching' is usually positive.
- conspicuous
- 'Conspicuous' means easy to see, often in an awkward way, as in a conspicuous stain, so it is less flattering than 'eye-catching'.
- arresting
- 'Arresting' is a more literary word for something that stops you and holds your attention.
Opposites
Word family
- eye-catcher noun
- something that attracts attention by its look
- catch the eye phrase
- to attract someone's attention visually
- eye-catchingly adverb
- in a way that attracts attention, as in 'eye-catchingly bright'
- eyecatching adjective
- a less common spelling without the hyphen
Commonly confused: eye-catching or eye-opening?
eye-catching vs eye-opening
'Eye-opening' describes something that surprises you or teaches you something new, not something that looks striking.
Practice
The poster's bold red lettering was so ___ that people stopped on the street to read it.
Choose one answer.
'Eye-catching' means visually attention-grabbing. 'Eye-opening' means surprising or revealing, and 'eye-watering' means very expensive or painfully strong, so neither describes bold lettering.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “eye-catching”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.