in the eye of

Idioms  

1. In the center or focal point of something, as in They were right in the eye of this controversy . This term employs eye in the sense of “a central spot,” a usage dating from the mid-1700s.

2. in the eyes of . In the view or opinion of, from the standpoint of. For example, In the eyes of his fans Elvis could do no wrong , or In the eyes of the law he was a fugitive . The eyes here allude to their function, seeing. [Late 1500s]

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Example Sentences

Of course, reasonableness is in the eye of the beholder — but to my eye, the reported numbers do not seem too generous.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 11, 2026

“The fund is going to plaintiffs who were victims of lawfare or weaponization. … Those are pretty ambiguous terms. They’re sort of in the eye of the beholder,” Nixon said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026

Microsculptures on display in the exhibition include artwork in the eye of a needle, on a pin head and one inside a single human hair - all so small they are only seen through microscopes.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

Another is that quality is in the eye of the beholder.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026

The radio told us we were in the eye of Donna, the still and frightening calm in the middle of the revolving storm.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck