black eye

American  

noun

• black eyes
  plural

1. discoloration of the skin around the eye, resulting from a blow, bruise, etc.

2. a mark of shame, dishonor, etc..

   These slums are a black eye to our town.

3. damaged reputation.

   Your behavior will give the family a black eye.

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black eye British  

noun

1. bruising round the eye

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black eye Idioms  

1. A mark of shame, a humiliating setback, as in That there are enough homeless folks to need another shelter is a black eye for the administration. This metaphor alludes to having discolored flesh around the eye resulting from a blow. The term is also used literally, as in The mugger not only took Bill's wallet but gave him a black eye. [Late 1800s]

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• black eyes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of black eye

First recorded in 1595–1605

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

black eye

And I wouldn’t want the black eye if it felt like a cash grab or if it didn’t live up to expectations or if it just felt like it wasn’t connected to that original thing.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026

They reportedly helped work the president up, casting the red card as a black eye for the U.S.

From Slate ● Jul. 6, 2026

That naturally contributes to the fund’s volatility, and in the past led to a significant black eye.

From Barron's ● Apr. 3, 2026

Losing Sheridan could be a black eye for Ellison, who took the helm of Paramount in August and is spending heavily on deals to revive the struggling company.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2025

She complains that Malachy Michael and Alphie look too healthy and you’d wonder why on this day of days they couldn’t have their usual scabby knees or the odd cut bruise or black eye.

From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt