catch someone's eye

Register · Neutral Neutral — appropriate in most situations, both spoken and written, without sounding too casual or too stiff. CEFR B1

Post

Example

“The bright blue cover caught Lena's eye from across the bookstore.”

Dictionary details

Component words

catch eye

Tags

attention

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

have an eye for Neutral · CEFR B2

be naturally skilled at noticing or judging a particular quality

give someone the eye Informal · CEFR B2

to signal romantic or sexual attraction through deliberate glances

pull the wool over someone's eyes Informal · CEFR B2

to deceive someone

the apple of one's eye Neutral · CEFR B2

a person or thing that someone loves and treasures above all others

catch-22 Neutral · CEFR C1

a no-win situation in which every possible solution is blocked by the very rules of the problem

keep an eye on Neutral · CEFR A2

to watch or look after someone or something carefully, often to make sure nothing goes wrong

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

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