Meaning & use
keep an eye
Last updated
Meanings
phraseidiominformal
To watch someone or something carefully for a period to be sure that all is well.
Grammar: Followed by on: keep an eye on the soup.
Patterns
- keep an eye on someone/something
Could you keep an eye on my bag while I buy a ticket?
Keep an eye on the clock so we don't miss the train.
The nurse kept an eye on the patient overnight.
phraseidiominformal
To stay alert so that you will notice something when it appears.
Grammar: Followed by out for: keep an eye out for the postman.
Patterns
- keep an eye out for something
Keep an eye out for a blue door; that's our house.
We're keeping an eye out for cheap flights.
Keep an eye out for signs of rain.
Word forms
| third person singular | keeps an eye |
|---|---|
| past tense | kept an eye |
| -ing form | keeping an eye |
Common combinations
- keep a close eye on
- Please keep a close eye on the toddler near the pool.
- keep a watchful eye
- The guard kept a watchful eye over the gate.
- keep an eye out for
- Keep an eye out for pickpockets in crowded places.
- keep half an eye on
- I kept half an eye on the game while cooking.
- keep one's eye on the ball
- Just keep your eye on the ball and finish the project.
Synonyms and how they differ
- watch
- Watch is a single verb and needs no idiom, but keep an eye suggests a casual, partial watching.
- monitor
- Monitor is formal and suggests systematic checking, often with equipment.
- supervise
- Supervise means to be responsible for people, which keep an eye need not imply.
- look after
- Look after means to care for, while keep an eye only means to watch.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: keep an eye or keep an ear out?
keep an eye vs keep an ear out
This idiom means listen for something, not watch.
Practice
Which word completes the sentence? 'Can you keep an eye ___ the oven while I answer the door?'
Choose one answer.
Keep an eye on is the fixed pattern for watching something. Keep an eye out for would need out.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “keep an eye”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.