Meaning & use
gimlet eye
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Meanings
nouncountableliterary
A sharp, watchful look that seems to notice and question everything.
Grammar: Countable but almost always singular: 'a gimlet eye', not 'gimlet eyes' for this meaning.
Patterns
- with a gimlet eye
- keep a gimlet eye on someone
She looked at the accounts with a gimlet eye, and nothing escaped her.
The old teacher fixed us with a gimlet eye until the whispering stopped.
He watched the new manager with a gimlet eye, waiting to see what she would change.
nounsingularfigurative
The ability to judge people or situations sharply and see through pretense.
Grammar: Used as 'a gimlet eye for something' when talking about a talent for spotting things.
Patterns
- a gimlet eye for something
A good editor needs a gimlet eye for small inconsistencies.
Her gimlet eye for a bad excuse made her an excellent detective.
Common combinations
- with a gimlet eye
- The inspector read the report with a gimlet eye.
- keep a gimlet eye on someone
- Keep a gimlet eye on the interns during their first week.
- a gimlet eye for detail
- His gimlet eye for detail caught the missing comma.
- fix someone with a gimlet eye
- She fixed him with a gimlet eye and asked where he had been.
- cast a gimlet eye over something
- The critic cast a gimlet eye over the new novel.
Synonyms and how they differ
- piercing look
- Describes a gaze that feels physically sharp; 'gimlet eye' adds the idea of suspicion and close judgment.
- steely gaze
- Emphasizes coldness and firmness rather than the watchful, questioning quality of a gimlet eye.
- eagle eye
- Focuses on noticing small details; a gimlet eye is more about doubting and weighing what you see.
Word family
- gimlet noun
- A small hand tool for boring holes in wood; the eye image comes from its sharp point.
Commonly confused: gimlet eye or gimlet?
gimlet eye vs gimlet
On its own, 'gimlet' is a tool or a cocktail with lime juice; the phrase 'gimlet eye' is the only common figurative use.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'gimlet eye' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Gimlet eye' means a sharp, watchful look, so a teacher silencing a class fits. Option 2 treats it as a medical eye problem, option 3 confuses it with the tool 'gimlet', and option 4 confuses it with the cocktail.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “gimlet eye”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.