eye shadow

American

Or eyeshadow

noun

a cosmetic coloring material applied to the eyelids.

eye shadow British

noun

a coloured cosmetic put around the eyes so as to enhance their colour or shape

"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

Etymology

Origin of eye shadow

First recorded in 1925–30

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.

“We started to see a lot more intensive makeup looks, with contouring and heavy eye shadow application.”

From MarketWatch • Feb. 7, 2026

Sephora gave shoppers free rein to schmear on lipstick and play with eye shadow.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 8, 2025

For me, it was where I met friends after school, tried on eye shadow for the first time, and listened to DJs pumping out dance music.

From BBC • Aug. 15, 2025

They’ve even found their way into makeup; Hailey Bieber’s brand Rhode released a popular peptide-packed lip tint last year, and you can find them in mascara, eye shadow, blush … the list goes on.

From Slate • May 4, 2025

They pay attention to shades of eye shadow and online games and which angle makes them look best in photos.

From "The Thing About Jellyfish" by Ali Benjamin

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