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beholder

beholder

21 5.8
A person who looks at something
  • noun
  • /bɪˈhoʊldər/
translation icon : observador
  • At any rate, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
  • the eye of the beholder
  • the heart of the beholder
  • the average beholder

Good and bad are emotions that exist in the cluttered head of the beholder.

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Examples

  • As a beholder of nature, she felt inspired by the beauty of the landscape.

  • Each beholder at the gallery had their own unique perspective on the painting.

  • Value is in the eye of the beholder, right?

  • Hey hey, beauty is in the eye of the beholder my dear.

  • Is it in the eye of the beholder, like beauty?

    Fiction book (2000)
  • Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

  • Truth, like art, is in the eye of the beholder.

  • "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," she said primly.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Haven’t you ever heard the phrase, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder"?

  • The artist knew that every beholder would interpret his work differently.

Synonyms

viewer
vsbeholder
477 1.3

A person who watches TV or films

is broader and applies to any person who sees things
observer
vsbeholder
305 2.8

A person who watches and notices things, often to give expert opinion

is more general and lacks expert focus
spectator
vsbeholder
123 2.6

A person who watches an event or show without taking part

is not limited to audience contexts and fits any seeing role
watcher
vsbeholder
89 3.9

A person who watches a place or people to keep them safe

is a general observer without focus on constant monitoring
onlooker
vsbeholder
24 3.2

A person who watches something without taking part

is more general and can mean observing in many contexts
spotter
vsbeholder
21 4.4

A person who watches closely and reports storms, dangers, or animal sightings

is a general watcher without the specific task of reporting
looker
vsbeholder
8 3.8

A person who watches or looks at something, for example at a museum

is the neutral word for simple seeing without informal tone
lookie
vsbeholder
  • Informal
3 9.9

A person who watches something without taking part

is a neutral and more formal way to describe someone watching
gazer
vsbeholder
2 4.0

A person who looks at something for a long time with interest or wonder

is a neutral watcher without prolonged fixed attention
attender
vsbeholder
2 3.1

A person who is at a meeting or lecture and listens

is a general viewer who may not be formally present at events
perceiver
vsbeholder
1 7.5

A person who notices things using their senses

is more about simple seeing rather than inner sensory awareness
starer
vsbeholder
1 6.7

A person who looks at someone for a long time in an unfriendly way

is the plain observer who does not show hostile intent
discerner
vsbeholder
1 7.5

A person who can notice small differences and good quality in things

is a simple seer who does not necessarily judge or evaluate
percipient
vsbeholder
  • Formal
9.9

A person who notices things using their senses

is the neutral watching term rather than emphasizing perception
looker-on
vsbeholder
4.4

A person who watches an event without taking part

is the broader term for any person who simply sees events
witnesser
vsbeholder
6.9

A person who sees an event like a crime or accident and tells what happened

is not restricted to incident observation and reporting roles

Idioms

Different people think different things are beautiful

How Observant

observer
305 2.8
witness
889 2.5
beholder
21 5.8
viewer
477 1.3
bystander
84 3.4

Surface Forms

beholder singular
beholders plural

Morphology

beholder = behold (transparent) = behold + er

Agentive noun formed by productive suffix '-er' added to the verb 'behold', yielding 'one who sees'; the meaning follows directly.

Etymology

Beholder comes from the verb behold ('to see' or 'look at') plus the ending -er ('one who'). So a beholder is simply 'one who looks', which is why the word means a viewer and appears in the saying 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder'.