variants or less commonly eye rolling
: the action or gesture of turning the eyes upward as an expression of annoyance, exasperation, disbelief, etc. : the rolling of the eyes
Other news anchors read the news. Wilson instructed you. He gave you the impression he had some things to tell you, and you'd be wise to sit up, pipe down and pay attention. And, if it was one of those stories that piqued his ever-vigilant sense of outrage, there was likely to be eye-rolling, deep sighs, and even some head-shaking at the ridiculousness of it all. C. W. Nevius
We are out for lunch, waiting patiently for our food. We are probably discussing something important … Either way, when the food hits the table, I will shush you, I will move my plate to the part of the restaurant with the most natural light, and I will take a picture. No amount of eye rolling will make me feel remorse. You think I am a monster. You are wrong. Josh Scherer

Examples of eye-rolling in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Russia and China start a nuclear war, but luckily the president—in a typical eye-rolling twist for this show—has a button that temporarily turns off all power in the world, grounding the nukes, though also dooming anyone still alive to possibly starving to death until power is restored. Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 4 Mar. 2025 Eye Rolling Studies have found that eye-rolling exercises may help reduce stress and improve quality of life. Laura Schober, Health, 12 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of eye-rolling was in 1837

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Cite this Entry

“Eye-rolling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eye-rolling. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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