evil eye

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noun

a look thought capable of inflicting injury or bad luck on the person at whom it is directed.

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

Nearby words

evident, evidential, evidentiary, evidently, evil, evil eye, evil one, evil twin, evil-minded, evildoer, evince

Origin of evil eye

before 1000; Middle English, Old English

Related forms

e·vil-eyed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for evil eye

At present, the Bisara is safe on an ekka-pony's neck, inside the blue bead-necklace that keeps off the Evil-eye.
The Works of Rudyard Kipling: One Volume Edition|Rudyard Kipling
Or if you didn't kill him, you'd cast the evil-eye on him, for you are well known to have the evil-eye.
A Terrible Temptation|Charles Reade
Somebody must have looked on the povera signora with the evil-eye, Signor Dottore.
The Call of the Blood|Robert Smythe Hichens
They also string a bean to hang around the necks of their babies, believing that it will act as a charm against the evil-eye.
Harper's Young People, June 14, 1881|Various

Folk fell to repeating Dumas' "evil-eye" words, and to applying them to discrowned old Ludwig.
Superwomen|Albert Payson Terhune

British Dictionary definitions for evil eye

evil eye

noun the evil eye

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

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

Derived Forms

evil-eyed, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with evil eye

evil eye

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]