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Glite Dictionary
to eye up

to eye up

1 7.4
To look at a person or thing with interest
  • phrasal verb
  • /aɪ ʌp/
  • Informal
translation icon : mirar con interés
  • Then why did I see you eyeing up Lalita?

Or what you're going to do when someone walks into the room and is eyeing up your boyfriend and they have the same body as you?

Examples

  • As he walked by, I couldn't help but notice her eyeing up the expensive jewelry on display.

  • So you can dissect a lot from that or you can just eye up the crew members.

  • You should be fighting back the tears, not eyeing up the talent.

    The Lady in the Van (2015)

  • I think I'm eyeing up these two right here, either Honey or Dem.

  • If you've got like a space in your home or something that you've been eyeing up for a while, it's a great deal.

  • She was eyeing up the beautiful dress in the shop window, imagining how it would look on her.

  • The young boy was eyeing up the massive ice cream cone, clearly wanting one for himself.

Synonyms

to stare
vsto eye up
∞ 1.0

To look at someone or something for a long time without moving your eyes

is usually less about staring intensity and more about evaluative interest
to consider
vsto eye up
670 2.4

To look at someone or something carefully to understand it

is more about visible interest or desire rather than internal deliberation
to regard
vsto eye up
241 3.2

To look at someone or something carefully

often adds a desire or personal interest element absent in this neutral view
to gaze
vsto eye up
170 2.6

To look steadily with admiration, surprise, or deep thought

tends to include an assessment or desire element rather than only steady attention
to eye
vsto eye up
152 4.8

To look closely at someone with interest

is more about careful judgment or clear desire than casual attention
to size up
vsto eye up
28 3.8

To look at someone or something carefully to form an opinion

leans more toward showing desire as well as careful assessment
to eyeball
vsto eye up
  • Informal
23 3.6

To look at someone or something closely and directly

focuses more on assessing attractiveness or value rather than neutral examination
to look up and down
vsto eye up
3 3.7

Move your eyes from head to toe to judge a person or thing

may be less physical and more about interest or careful evaluation
to give (someone) the eye
vsto eye up
3 8.4

Look at someone in a way that shows romantic or sexual interest

can also apply when the interest is evaluative rather than only romantic
to give someone the eye
vsto eye up
  • NSFW
2 8.1

Look at someone to show romantic or sexual interest

is broader, covering both desire and careful practical assessment
to give the eye
vsto eye up
7.7

To look at someone with interest to judge or admire them

adds a stronger sense of desire or direct interest to that appraisal

Antonyms

to ignore
∞ 1.0

Choose not to pay attention to someone or something

How Interested

to leer
  • NSFW
20 7.4
to stare
∞ 1.0
to eye up
  • Informal
1 7.4
to glance
299 1.5

Surface Forms

eye up infinitive
eyeing up present participle
eyes up third person singular
eyed up past
eyed up past participle

Morphology

eye + up

The verb 'eye' already carries the sense of looking or regarding closely, so a learner who knows both constituents can infer the core meaning of looking at someone or something. However, the particle 'up' here adds an intensifying/appraising or desirous nuance that is metaphorical rather than the literal spatial sense of 'up', so the precise pragmatic meaning (assessment/desire) is not fully predictable without exposure.

Etymology

The phrasal verb eye up comes from the image of using your eye to look someone up and down, checking them closely. So, to eye up someone or something today means 'to look with interest' or 'to judge'.