eye contact

American  

noun

1. the act of looking directly into another's eyes.

   We never made eye contact at any time during the interview.

2. Psychology. a meeting of the eyes of two persons, regarded as a meaningful nonverbal form of communication.

---

eye contact British  

noun

1. a direct look between two people; meeting of eyes

   he maintained eye contact with his interrogator

---

Etymology

Origin of eye contact

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

He looked across the table at me very sweetly, with kind eye contact, before asking, “Are you OK?”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

And very sweetly and with kind eye contact, he asked, “Can I laugh now?”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

Executives from AI interview platforms say the systems generally don’t score job candidates based on eye contact or facial expressions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 18, 2026

She advises thinking about the small things such as eye contact or touch that you can do with the time you have in the day together to make you feel like a couple again.

From BBC • Feb. 9, 2026

They were pleasant enough, but they did not make eye contact with me.

From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen