Meaning & use
sore eyes
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Meanings
phraseplural
eyes that hurt, feel dry, or look red and irritated.
Grammar: Used as a plural noun phrase; it often follows 'have', 'get', or 'with'.
Patterns
- have sore eyes
- get sore eyes
- with sore eyes
After staring at my screen all day, I had sore eyes.
She woke up with sore eyes and could barely open them.
Sore eyes are common when the air is very dry.
phraseidiominformal
used in the idiom 'a sight for sore eyes', meaning a welcome sight.
Grammar: This fixed expression usually appears as 'a sight for sore eyes' and describes a person or thing you are happy to see.
Patterns
- a sight for sore eyes
After two weeks of rain, the sun was a sight for sore eyes.
You're a sight for sore eyes — I haven't seen you in months!
Common combinations
- have sore eyes
- I have sore eyes from reading in poor light.
- get sore eyes
- You can get sore eyes if you don't blink enough.
- a sight for sore eyes
- The cold drink was a sight for sore eyes after the long hike.
- sore eyes and a runny nose
- Her allergy gives her sore eyes and a runny nose.
Synonyms and how they differ
- eye strain
- This is the tired, painful feeling caused by using your eyes too much; 'sore eyes' describes the eyes themselves.
- pinkeye
- This is a specific infection that makes eyes red and sore; 'sore eyes' is a general description, not a medical diagnosis.
Commonly confused: sore eyes or sore eye?
sore eyes vs sore eye
Use 'sore eye' for one painful eye; 'sore eyes' is for both eyes.
Practice
Choose the sentence that uses 'sore eyes' correctly.
Choose one answer.
'Sore eyes' is a plural phrase and works after 'have': 'I have sore eyes.' Option A wrongly adds 'a'; option B repeats 'eyes' awkwardly; option D uses the singular form with 'both'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sore eyes”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.