beholder

[ bih-hohl-der ]

noun

1. a person who is observing or seeing something:

   What is considered offensive often lies in the eyes of the beholder.

Word History and Origins

Origin of beholder¹

behold ( def ) + -er ¹( def )

Example Sentences

Maybe, in the end, what makes a planet is in the eye of the beholder.

From Science News For Students

Just to push back a little, I can imagine someone saying, “Well, maybe balance is in the eye of the beholder.”

From Nautilus

The difference between a throw and a blanket is in the eye of the beholder!

From Popular-Science

Which approach is right may be in the eye of the beholder, and overly restrictive approaches can have negative consequences.

From Digiday

As Oster put it, “all these kinds of numbers are in the eyes of the beholder.”

From Vox

Beauty, in his case at least, really is in the eye of the beholder.

From The Daily Beast

I joined the Marines the week I turned 17, and that led to a few experiences that might qualify as adventure—eye of the beholder.

From The Daily Beast

That decision will certainly be in the eye of partisan beholder.

From The Daily Beast

But be warned, the action here is mostly in the eyes of the beholder.

From The Daily Beast

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and we have some very pretty girls here.

From The Daily Beast

Restoration is so perfect that the ordinary beholder would never know the tower had been touched.

From Project Gutenberg

Perspiration streamed from the founder, while the beholder crossed himself, in the shadow.

From Project Gutenberg

As a public force he was no longer a human being at all—he was a deformity, a spectre conjured up to bring fright to the beholder.

From Project Gutenberg

Sinister appearances; some strange, furtive glance seemed cast upon the beholder through that obscure mass up-piled.

From Project Gutenberg

The beholder had a vague sense of something advancing steadily towards him.

From Project Gutenberg