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Glite Dictionary
to bat one's eyes

to bat one's eyes

6.9
To move your eyelashes quickly in a playful way to get what you want
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : parpadear
  • You gotta bat your eyes, like this.

Examples

  • Al did was bat my eyes at him a few times.

    Murder 101 (1991)

  • If I ever catch you batting your eyes at another fellow, I will...

    Show Boat (1951)

  • Show him a little decolletage, cleavage, bat your eyes?

    Get Smart (2008)

  • Crystal goes on conning him, and batting her eyes.

    The Women (1939)

  • She loves to bat her eyes playfully when she flirts with him.

  • He always knows when I bat my eyes at him that I'm trying to get my way.

  • If you bat your eyes like that, you're sure to win his attention.

Synonyms

to bat
vsto bat one's eyes
23 7.4

To quickly close and open the eyelids as a sign

is the same action but usually used playfully to attract someone
to flutter
vsto bat one's eyes
10 3.7

To move the eyelids quickly and lightly, like a short blink

is a rapid lashes movement often used playfully to show flirtation
to palpebrate
vsto bat one's eyes
9.9

To close and open the eyelids quickly, often several times

is more playful and flirtatious rather than neutral or clinical
to give the glad eye
vsto bat one's eyes
  • NSFW
9.9

Look at someone to show romantic or sexual interest

is a specific rapid lashes gesture rather than a general flirtatious look

How Flirtatious

to leer
  • NSFW
20 7.4
to bat one's eyes
  • Informal
6.9

Surface Forms

bat one's eyes infinitive
batted one's eyes past
batted one's eyes past participle
batting one's eyes present participle
bats one's eyes third person singular

Morphology

bat + one + eye

The verb 'bat' (to flutter one's eyelashes) combined with 'one's eyes' yields a directly compositional meaning — literally to flutter one's eyelashes. This follows normal verb + object composition and has clear cross-linguistic parallels, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words will readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Bat one's eyes comes from the image of eyelashes moving like a small bird's quick wings. The verb bat meant 'to flutter', and because those soft, fast blinks look playful or flirty, bat one's eyes now means 'to flutter your eyelashes to get attention'.