Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

wide-eyed

American  
[wahyd-ahyd] / ˈwaɪdˌaɪd /

adjective

  1. with the eyes open wide, as in amazement, innocence, or sleeplessness.


wide-eyed British  

adjective

  1. innocent or credulous

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of wide-eyed

First recorded in 1850–55

Vocabulary lists containing wide-eyed

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.

Ms. Hoffman’s Desdemona has a pronounced, wide-eyed girlishness that makes her confusion at her husband’s suspicions and growing antagonism pitiful to watch.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026

Bailey has a wide-eyed clueless cuteness that lends to her character’s well-meaning naiveté — even her missteps have a way of working out.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

Montenegrin journalists looked on wide-eyed as Bellamy used a pre-match news conference in Podgorica in 2024 to talk about Yugoslavia's Under-21s of 1990 as much as Wales' Nations League match there the following day.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

They brought with them a family album that showed a picture-perfect life: Yuriy and Valiera's wedding, their trip to Rome, and of course, wide-eyed baby Kirochka.

From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026

“The harp is playing by itself,” I said, wide-eyed.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "wide-eyed" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com