evil eye

American  

[ee-vuhl ahy] / ˈi vəl ˈaɪ /

Or Evil Eye

noun

1. Often Facetious. a look expressing hostility, stern disapproval, jealousy, etc..

   As he left he turned and cast an evil eye in my direction, full of contempt.

   I’d better get off the phone—I’m getting the evil eye from my mom.

2. a look thought to be capable of inflicting bad luck or misfortune on the person at whom it is directed.

   One did not need to be a witch to give the evil eye—it could happen accidentally.

3. the power, superstitiously attributed to certain persons, of inflicting bad luck or misfortune by a look.

   The evil eye was recognized by the Sumerians, Babylonians, Assyrians, and ancient Egyptians from as early as 3000 b.c.

4. an attack carried out by means of magic power exercised through a look; a curse, jinx, or spell.

   Do you know anyone who can remove the evil eye?

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evil eye British  

noun

1. a look or glance superstitiously supposed to have the power of inflicting harm or injury

2. the power to inflict harm, etc, by such a look

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evil eye Idioms  

1. The power to cause injury or misfortune, as in The tomatoes died shortly after planting—I must have an evil eye. The source of this expression is the ancient superstitious belief that some individuals could inflict harm on others simply by looking at them. Today the term is generally used figuratively or ironically, as above, and also in the form give someone the evil eye, which means “glare malevolently at someone.” For example, Helen gave his cat the evil eye, hoping it would stay out of her garden. [Late 1300s]

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Other Word Forms

• evil-eyed adjective

Etymology

Origin of evil eye

First recorded before 1000; Middle English, Old English

Example Sentences

Depictions of roses, a skull, a goat and a Santería evil eye dance around them, illuminated in sepia spotlights and looking like they could have come straight from a deck of tarot cards.

From Washington Times • Nov. 6, 2023

He had also conducted internet searches for voodoo and how to "remove the evil eye", police said.

From BBC • Oct. 25, 2023

The court’s opinion in that case struck down a law that was found to be “applied and administered by public authority with an evil eye and an unequal hand.”

From Slate • Jun. 30, 2023

“They are like apotropaic amulets warding off the evil eye: an army of ever-watchful, unblinking, cyclopean eyes,” wrote critic Zoé Samudzi in a short monograph of William’s work published in 2021.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2023

After the way Tata Kuvudundu carried on at the meeting and gave off the evil eye, nobody could sleep.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Related Words

• bad eye