cockeyed

/ˈkɒkˌaɪd/

//ˈkɒkˌaɪd// adj

"cockeyed" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cockeyed” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Having both eyes oriented inward, cross-eyed.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cockeyed · cockeyed · English

cockeyed · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "C" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for cockeyed
PropertyValue
Headwordcockeyed
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈkɒkˌaɪd/
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “cockeyed” in English

cockeyedsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

cockeyed is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈkɒkˌaɪd/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for cockeyed in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From cock + eyed. The correct English form is cockeyed, spelled C-O-C-K-E-Y-E-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Having both eyes oriented inward, cross-eyed.
  2. 2
    Crooked or askew.
  3. 3
    Absurd, silly, or stupid; usually used in reference to ideas rather than people.
  4. 4
    Drunk.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how cockeyed appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. 1950, Langston Hughes, Simple Speaks His Mind, Chapter 12, in The Early Simple Stories, The Collected Works of Langston Hughes, Volume 7, edited by Donna Akiba Sullivan Harper, University of Missouri Press, 2002, p. 60–61, This morning I paid seventy cents for two little old dried-up slivers of bacon and one cockeyed egg.
  2. The Velcro closure of one sneaker had come loose and stuck up like a cockeyed tongue.

Etymology

From cock + eyed.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "cockeyed"?
"cockeyed" is spelled C-O-C-K-E-Y-E-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɒkˌaɪd/.
What does "cockeyed" mean?
As an adjective, "cockeyed" means: Having both eyes oriented inward, cross-eyed.
How do you pronounce "cockeyed"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cockeyed" is /ˈkɒkˌaɪd/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "cockeyed"?
From cock + eyed. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list