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Glite Dictionary
to have an eye for

to have an eye for

11 4.3
To be good at noticing small details and good qualities in things
  • idiom
translation icon : tener buen ojo para
  • You need to have an eye for detail if you want to be a successful artist.
  • have an eye for talent
  • have an eye for detail
  • have an eye for beauty

And what comes through very quickly is that he has an eye for power.

Examples

Antonyms

to ignore
∞ 1.0

Choose not to pay attention to someone or something

to overlook
243 2.9

To not notice someone or something you should see

How Discerning

to have an eye for
11 4.3
to recognize
  • US
∞ 1.4
to notice
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

have an eye for infinitive
had an eye for past
had an eye for past participle
having an eye for present participle
has an eye for third person singular

Morphology

have + an + eye + for

The phrase uses a transparent metaphor—'eye' for the capacity to notice combined with 'have' + 'for' indicating possession directed at something—so a learner who knows the words can likely infer it means an ability to notice or appreciate details. However, the sense is a metaphorical extension (nuances of taste or aesthetic appreciation may not be fully predictable), and while cross-linguistic parallels exist, it is not strictly compositional, so it is only partially transparent to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Have an eye for comes from the image of someone whose eye quickly spots small or beautiful things. So it means 'to notice or appreciate' fine detail or good quality.