naked eye

Idioms  

1. Sight unassisted by an instrument such as a microscope or telescope. For example, These insects are too small to be seen with the naked eye. This expression was first recorded in 1664.

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Example Sentences

Only then can one attain a view like this and perhaps, with a naked eye, see mountains as they see each other.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026

"It's nearly invisible to the naked eye but our instruments give rise to a vision of swaths of scintillating corona glowing as thunderstorms pass overhead," McFarland said.

From Science Daily • Apr. 21, 2026

To the naked eye, they may have looked similar.

From Salon • Apr. 17, 2026

"While a laser looks to the naked eye like a steady beam, there's actually a lot of fluctuation, which causes noise when you're using lasers for measurement," says Vamivakas.

From Science Daily • Mar. 31, 2026

Most of the other stars that are visible to the naked eye lie within a few hundred light-years of us.

From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking