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eyeball

eye·ball/ˈaɪ.bɔl/noun, verb

eyeball is spelled E-Y-E-B-A-L-L: 7 letters and 2 syllables (eye·ball). It appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 25,367th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, eyeball means “The ball of the eye” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of eyeball is eyeballs.

How many letters and syllables are in eyeball?

Letters7: E-Y-E-B-A-L-L
Syllables2: eye·ball
In writing1.3 times per million words; the 25,367th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How common is eyeball?

Eyeball appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 25,367th most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce eyeball?

  • UK /ˈaɪ.bɔːl/
  • US /ˈaɪ.bɔl/
  • /ˈaɪ.bɑl/

Eyeball has 2 syllables, split eye·ball in writing.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-eyeball.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Forms of eyeball

  • eyeballs plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • eyeballing participle, present
  • eyeballed participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does eyeball mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    The ball of the eye.

    Near-synonym: eye

  2. 2

    An instance of eyeballing something.

    Give this report an eyeball, will you please?

  3. 3

    informalSurveillance.

  4. 4

    A readership or viewership.

    We need compelling content for the new Web site so we can attract more eyeballs.

  5. 5

    slangA face-to-face meeting.

    We had an eyeball last year.

  6. 6

    A favourite or pet; the apple of someone's eye.

verb

  1. 1

    informalTo gauge, estimate or judge by eye, rather than measuring precisely; to look or glance at.

    A good cook can often just eyeball the correct quantities of ingredients.

  2. 2

    informalTo stare at intently.

    Are you eyeballing my girl?

  3. 3

    To roll one's eyes.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Eyeball in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchglobe oculaire (ball of the eye), évaluer à vue de nez, évaluer au pif, faire à la louche (to judge by eye)
GermanAugapfel (ball of the eye), nach Augenmaß abschätzen, nach Augenmaß abmessen, nach Augenmaß hinzugeben, nach Augenmaß hinzufügen (to judge by eye)
Portugueseglobo ocular (ball of the eye)
Spanishglobo ocular (ball of the eye), calcular a ojo, tantear a ojímetro (to judge by eye)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does eyeball come from?

From eye + ball. Compare Middle English balle off the eye, balle of þe eyȝe (“eyeball”, literally “ball of the eye”).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after eyeball