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bug-eyed

American

[buhg-ahyd] / ˈbʌgˌaɪd /

adjective

with bulging eyes, as from fright, surprise, or wonderment; wide-eyed.

Etymology

Origin of bug-eyed

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25; bug ¹ + eyed

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

bug-eyed

She is presented as bug-eyed and insane, as Mrs. Lovett asking if you wouldn’t like another piece of pie.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 18, 2025

But his unwillingness to be a bug-eyed lunatic has hurt his fundraising numbers.

From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2023

But Durkee casts doubt, wondering why those closest to Shakespeare would select this cartoonish picture — “the bug-eyed bloke with the pecan head” — for such a worthy tribute.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 25, 2023

The other scowls, bug-eyed and open-jawed, as if caught in mid-shout.

From New York Times ● Jan. 19, 2023

Or was he lying in bed staring bug-eyed out his window?

From "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023