sight for sore eyes

Meaning

1. 1phraseidiominformal

   A person or thing that is very welcome and pleasing to see, especially after a long wait or a difficult time.

   Grammar: Used after a form of be or look: you are a sight for sore eyes.

   Patterns

   • be a sight for sore eyes
   • something is a sight for sore eyes

   After weeks away from home, my own kitchen was a sight for sore eyes.

   You look like a sight for sore eyes, I have missed you!

   The lights of the village were a sight for sore eyes after the long, dark hike.

Common combinations

a sight for sore eyes

Your cheerful face is a sight for sore eyes.

truly a sight for sore eyes

The rescue boat was truly a sight for sore eyes.

what a sight for sore eyes

Well, what a sight for sore eyes you are!

look like a sight for sore eyes

The warm soup looked like a sight for sore eyes.

be a sight for sore eyes

A clean bed will be a sight for sore eyes tonight.

Synonyms and how they differ

welcome sight

Welcome sight is the plainer, more neutral phrase, while sight for sore eyes is warmer and more idiomatic.

breath of fresh air

A breath of fresh air describes something refreshingly new, not necessarily something longed for.

godsend

A godsend is something that arrives at the perfect time to help, which is more about usefulness than seeing it.

treat

A treat is a pleasant surprise, while a sight for sore eyes emphasizes the relief at seeing something.

Opposites

Word family

sight noun

something that is seen

sore adjective

painful or tired

eyesore noun

something ugly that is unpleasant to look at

Commonly confused: sight for sore eyes or eyesore?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “sight for sore eyes”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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