Meaning & use
eyeing
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“eyeing” is a form of “eye”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
verbtransitive
looking at someone or something with interest, often because you want it or are watching it carefully
Grammar: Takes an object: eyeing the cake. It is the -ing form of eye.
Patterns
- eye someone/something
- eye someone/something up and down
- be eyeing someone/something
She was eyeing the last piece of chocolate cake.
He sat eyeing the clock, waiting for the meeting to end.
The cat was eyeing the bird through the window.
Word forms
| third person singular | eyes |
|---|---|
| past tense | eyed |
| past participle | eyed |
| -ing form | eyeing |
Common combinations
- eye something up and down
- She eyed him up and down before answering.
- eye the exit
- He was eyeing the exit during the boring speech.
- eye suspiciously
- The guard eyed the stranger suspiciously.
Synonyms and how they differ
- watching
- Watching is more neutral and can be long-term; eyeing often suggests desire or suspicion.
- observing
- Observing is more formal and suggests careful, objective attention.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: eyeing or eying?
eyeing vs eying
Eying is an alternative spelling of eyeing, but eyeing is more common and preferred in British English.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
Eyeing is the standard -ing form, and eye takes a direct object without a preposition. Option 1 is a less common spelling; options 2 and 3 wrongly add prepositions.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “eyeing”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.