sight
Americannoun
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the power or faculty of seeing; perception of objects by use of the eyes; vision.
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an act, fact, or instance of seeing.
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one's range of vision on some specific occasion.
Land is in sight.
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mental perception or regard; judgment.
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something seen or worth seeing; spectacle.
the sights of London.
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Informal. something unusual, surprising, shocking, or distressing.
They were a sight after the fight.
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Commerce.
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presentation of a bill of exchange.
a draft payable at two months after sight.
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a showing of goods, especially gems, held periodically for wholesalers.
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Older Use. a great deal.
It's a sight better to work than to starve.
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an observation taken with a surveying, navigating, or other instrument to ascertain an exact position or direction.
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any of various mechanical or optical viewing devices, as on a firearm or surveying instrument, for aiding the eye in aiming.
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Obsolete. skill; insight.
verb (used with object)
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to see, glimpse, notice, or observe.
to sight a ship to the north.
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to take a sight or observation of (a stake, coastline, etc.), especially with surveying or navigating instruments.
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to direct or aim by a sight or sights, as a firearm.
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to provide with sights or adjust the sights of, as a gun.
verb (used without object)
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to aim or observe through a sight.
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to look carefully in a certain direction.
idioms
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on / upon sight, immediately upon seeing.
to shoot him on sight;
to recognize someone on sight.
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not by a long sight, definitely not.
Is that all? Not by a long sight.
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at first sight, at the first glimpse; at once.
It was love at first sight.
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in plain sight. see in plain sight.
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sight for sore eyes, someone or something whose appearance on the scene is cause for relief or gladness.
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sight unseen, without previous examination.
to buy something sight unseen.
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catch sight of, to get a glimpse of; espy.
We caught sight of the lake below.
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know by sight, to recognize (a person or thing) seen previously.
I know him by sight, but I know nothing about him.
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at sight,
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immediately upon seeing, especially without referring elsewhere for assurance, further information, etc..
to translate something at sight.
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Commerce. on presentation.
a draft payable at sight.
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out of sight,
noun
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the power or faculty of seeing; perception by the eyes; vision
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the act or an instance of seeing
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the range of vision
within sight of land
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range of mental vision; point of view; judgment
in his sight she could do nothing wrong
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a glimpse or view (esp in the phrases catch sight of, lose sight of )
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anything that is seen
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(often plural) anything worth seeing; spectacle
the sights of London
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informal anything unpleasant or undesirable to see
his room was a sight!
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any of various devices or instruments used to assist the eye in making alignments or directional observations, esp such a device used in aiming a gun
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an observation or alignment made with such a device
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an opportunity for observation
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obsolete insight or skill
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informal a great deal
she's a sight too good for him
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a person or thing that one is pleased or relieved to see
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as soon as seen
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on presentation
a bill payable at sight
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to be familiar with the appearance of without having personal acquaintance
I know Mr Brown by sight but we have never spoken
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informal on no account; not at all
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slang not visible
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extreme or very unusual
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( as interj. )
that's marvellous!
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to have (a specified goal) in mind; aim for
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without having seen the object at issue
to buy a car sight unseen
verb
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(tr) to see, view, or glimpse
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(tr)
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to furnish with a sight or sights
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to adjust the sight of
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to aim (a firearm) using the sight
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sight
First recorded before 950; Middle English (noun); Old English sihth (more often gesihth, gesiht; cognate with German Gesicht face; cf. y-), derivative of sēon “to see 1 ”; see -th 1
Explanation
Your sight is your ability to see. If you're maneuvering through the house at midnight using your shins to locate the furniture, you'll appreciate your sight that much more. You could also turn a light on. Sight has many different senses. It can mean the range of your vision, as in when you freak out when your little puppy goes out of sight. You can "take in the sights," meaning you're seeing all the special attractions of a town (also known as sightseeing). Sight can also be a verb, as when you sight a celebrity at your local taco stand, or when you sight your target using the sight on your gun, before you shoot.
Vocabulary lists containing sight
Some Tricky Homonyms
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The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 5
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The New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
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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.
"The horrifying allegations about Married at First Sight raise serious concerns over whether enough is being done to protect people taking part in reality television," the committee's chairwoman Caroline Dinenage MP said.
From BBC • May 20, 2026
Channel 4's chief executive Priya Dogra expressed sympathy to contributors who had "clearly been distressed after taking part in Married at First Sight".
From BBC • May 19, 2026
But the British Sight and Sound top-10 critics poll, issued every 10 years, has remained a concise standard that’s taken seriously.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
Mel Schilling's Married At First Sight UK co-star Paul C Brunson has shared an emotional tribute to his "fearless", "tough" and "deeply loved" late friend and colleague.
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026
Sight of that little old pup, tearing out for the brush with that piece of cornbread seemed to loosen something inside me.
From "Old Yeller" by Fred Gipson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
