walleyed

American  

[wawl-ahyd] / ˈwɔlˌaɪd /

adjective

1. having eyes in which there is an abnormal amount of the white showing, because of divergent strabismus.

2. having large, staring eyes, as some fishes.

3. marked by excited or agitated staring of the eyes, as in fear, rage, frenzy, or the like.

   He stood there in walleyed astonishment.

4. having an eye or the eyes presenting little or no color, as the result of a light-colored or white iris or of white opacity of the cornea.

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Etymology

Origin of walleyed

1300–50; Middle English wawileghed, waugle eghed < Old Norse vagleygr, equivalent to vagl- (meaning uncertain; compare Icelandic vagl film over the eye) + -eygr -eyed; eye; compare Old English waldenīge

Example Sentences

“It’s very goofy, and that is the reason why we call him Derpy Tiger. Those drawings are very derpy. He’s always walleyed and weird looking.”

From Salon • Jul. 2, 2025

His large eyes, luminous skin, thin body, and slightly walleyed expression accentuated the impression of speaking to an “extraterrestrial,” as Paris Match once put it.

From The Verge • Mar. 28, 2018

So the musical question has been what your preferred accompaniment is to clenching your teeth, clutching the wheel, and going as walleyed as the fish on the cover of Vince Staples’ album.

From Slate • Dec. 25, 2017

He was walleyed and skeletal—you could see every bone in his cranium.

From The New Yorker • Aug. 29, 2016

After the performance the walleyed yokels would flock to Brother Mance, and I would fill out applications until my fingers ached.

From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright