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lidless

lidless

1 9.5
Always watching without closing the eyes
  • adjective
  • /ˈlɪd.ləs/
  • Literature
translation icon : sin párpados
  • Jim Sturgess's Korean character's proximity to an actual Asian actress served to point up just how much his unblinking, lidless eyes didn't look Asian.
  • lidless eye

Examples

  • Lidless eyes like black marbles, slick.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • The eyes look at me with a lidless stare.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • You have a circle... ...and a lidless eye that's always open.

  • A Great Eye, lidless, wreathed in flame.

  • Her dark hair fans around her pale face, mermaid-slick, her lips red and puffy, and her eyes are so bright they seem lidless, unable to protect themselves.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • His lidless eyes stared unblinkingly at the stars, as if absorbing every detail of the night sky.

  • The creature approached with its lidless gaze, watching every move I made without any sign of blinking.

  • In the dim light, he felt the weight of her lidless stare, as though she could see right through him.

Synonyms

open-eyed
vslidless
1 5.2

Aware of possible danger or change

is about never closing the eyes and constant observing
sleepless
vslidless
  • Literature
1 7.8

Always watching and ready to notice danger

is the same meaning expressed with a different word form
watchful
vslidless
  • Archaic
1 7.5

Being awake at night and not able to sleep

refers to continuous observant watching rather than mere sleeplessness
unlidded
vslidless
6.9

Eyes that are open and do not blink

is about continuous unblinking watching rather than literal eye openness

Antonyms

1 5.9

You do not notice small details around you

To close and open the eyes quickly and repeatedly

How Watchful

lidless
  • Literature
1 9.5
vigilant
66 6.0
watchful
37 3.2
alert
82 2.8
attentive
61 3.0
unobservant
1 5.9

Surface Forms

lidless positive

Morphology

lidless = lid (semi-transparent) = lid + less

The adjective is formed by the regular pattern 'lid' + '-less', but the literary meaning 'always watchful/unblinking' is a metaphorical extension that may not be fully predictable for all learners.

Etymology

The word lidless comes from lid ('cover') and -less ('without'), and thinking of eyelid helps: if you are 'without eyelids' you cannot close your eyes. So lidless can mean 'always watchful' or unblinking.