black eye

noun

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.

black eye

noun

1. bruising round the eye

Word History and Origins

Origin of black eye¹

First recorded in 1595–1605

Idioms and Phrases

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]

Example Sentences

Yet Harjo wrote Lee as a tragicomic figure perpetually floundering his way through his investigations and his life, taking his share of black eyes and deadly near-misses in the bargain.

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She left with a black eye and multiple lacerations after she was knocked unconscious in a brutal attack by a fellow concertgoer.

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Her father Eddie was also an alcoholic, who regularly hit her mother, leaving her with black eyes and split lips.

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In an interview with KTLA-TV before her arrest, Haro, who had a black eye, pleaded for the return of her son.

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In an interview with KTLA-TV last week, Rebecca Haro, who had a black eye, pleaded for the return of her son.

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