hard on the eyes
2
6.8
- idiom
- Informal
:
difícil de ver
- Trees line almost the entire street, and the buildings on either side aren't hard on the eyes, either.
- too hard on the eyes
Examples
-
This perfume's really-- it's hard on the eyes.
-
Knitting by the light of lamp and candle is hard on the eyes.
Fiction book (1992) -
Am l that hard on the eyes?
-
Dangerous and hard on the eyes.
Blog text (20) -
For the record, writing in all caps is hard on the eyes.
Blog text (6) -
In addition to causing a depth effect, chromostereopsis can also be annoying and hard on the eyes.
Blog text (26) -
You're not hard on the eyes at all, Ted, but you're a jockey.
-
There is no word wrap, which is very hard on the eyes and fingers as one scrolls back and forth (big hassle).
Blog text (8) -
Under the halogen lamps, the stainless-steel and white-enameled surfaces of the operating room were a little hard on the eyes, like the geometric configurations of an Arctic landscape polished by the glare of a winter sun.
Fiction book (1992) -
After a few minutes, staring at the bright, flashing colors on the screen became hard on the eyes.
Synonyms
866
1.0
Not pleasant to look at
15
4.5
Unpleasant to look at
Unpleasant to look at because of bright, clashing colors
Antonyms
How Attractive
∞
1.0
680
1.0
50
2.5
37
1.8
- Informal
2
6.8
866
1.0
171
5.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase combines a fairly transparent sense of 'hard' (difficult/straining) with a locative phrase 'on the eyes', so a learner who knows the words can plausibly infer it means something that makes looking uncomfortable or tires the eyes. The meaning is slightly metaphorical and relies on a particular use of 'hard' (harmful/unpleasant) that may not be fully predictable without exposure, so it is not fully transparent.
Etymology
Hard on the eyes makes a picture of something that makes the eyes work too hard, like a very bright light or a busy pattern that makes you squint and feel uncomfortable. So, it means 'unpleasant to look at' or that something causes visual strain.