eyeful

American  

[ahy-fool] / ˈaɪ fʊl /

noun

plural

eyefuls

1. an amount of foreign matter thrown, blown, etc., into the eye.

   an eyeful of dust.

2. as much as one can or wants to see.

   The tourists got an eyeful of slum life.

3. Informal. a very attractive person, especially a beautiful woman.

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eyeful British  

/ ˈaɪfʊl /

noun

1. a view, glance, or gaze

   he got an eyeful of the secret before they blindfolded him

2. a very beautiful or attractive sight, esp a woman

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Etymology

Origin of eyeful

First recorded in 1825–35; eye + -ful

Explanation

When you get an eyeful, you get a good, long look at something or someone. Climbing to the summit of a mountain can give you an eyeful of the beautiful valley below. A complete view of anything can be described colloquially as an eyeful, but for some reason people usually mean "a good look at a naked person" when they say it. Your mom might say, "A streaker ran nude through the football game, and boy did we get an eyeful!" Occasionally, the word means "a good-looking person," as when someone says, "Your cousin's really an eyeful!" This casual word has been used since the late 18th century.

Example Sentences

From social media posts clipped from livestreamed events with the astronauts to an extraordinary portfolio of celestial photographs, viewers caught an eyeful of Artemis II.

From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026

So if you catch it when it rises or sets, you might get an eyeful.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 4, 2023

The next day, drive back the way you came, to give passengers an eyeful along the route — and see everything you missed the day before.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 26, 2022

Both types will get an eyeful from Dickson Carroll’s“Mirror Variations,” a suite of exuberantly framed looking-glasses that straddle the divide between decorative and fine art.

From Washington Post • Feb. 25, 2022

Ophie said nothing, and the other passengers stumbled and lurched back to their seats after getting their eyeful of the tragedy on the street.

From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland