eyesight
Americannoun
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the power or faculty of seeing.
-
the act or fact of seeing.
-
the range of the eye.
to come within eyesight.
noun
Etymology
Origin of eyesight
Middle English word dating back to 1150–1200; see origin at eye, sight
Explanation
Your eyesight is your vision, or ability to see. If your eyesight isn't perfect, you can correct it using glasses or contact lenses. Most (but not all) animals have eyesight, or the ability to perceive things using eyes. The exceptions are a few nocturnal or underground animals, and those whose eyes or nervous systems are damaged. Eyesight is an amazing sense, giving the average person the ability to distinguish between millions of colors and focus on more than 50 objects per second. The word eyesight was used by 1200, making it about a century older than the word vision.
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.
As the play opens Bach is anguished by the illness of one of his many children—he sired 20, although only half made it to adulthood—and alarmed by his failing eyesight.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
Published in Nature Communications, the findings suggest that a DNA repair mechanism may allow Greenland sharks to preserve their eyesight for centuries without showing signs of retinal degeneration.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026
Balance naturally deteriorates as our eyesight, sense of touch, strength and vestibular systems decline.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
They often don't give enough UV protection when looking directly at the Sun and you could end up seriously damaging your eyesight, according to The Royal Astronomical Society.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
“Her eyesight is so poor,” Nicasia says, and I realize she’s standing over me.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
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