eye roll
noun
variants
or less commonly eye-roll
plural eye rolls also eye-rolls
: an upward turning of the eyes especially as an expression of annoyance, exasperation, disbelief, etc. : an instance of rolling the eyes
Historically, anyone who dares to give pro athletes mental advice—be they M.D.s, psychologists or shamans—often gets the eye roll or the pat on the back.—
Jaimal Yogis
Jaimal YogisContempt, one of the emotions Gottman watches for at the Love Lab, is detectable through the … buccinator, which pulls the lip corners to the side and creates a distinctly uncute dimple; it's often combined with an upward eye roll.—Casey Greenfield
Casey GreenfieldHis stories always took their time, his daughter said, and usually some winding turns, too. His family's eye-rolls only made him go slower.—Peter Schworm
Peter Schworm"Mom!" She gave me the parents-are-weird eye-roll. The truth is, though, she's proud of me.—Katha Pollitt
Katha PollittExamples of eye roll in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In walks Plaza and Shannon, scowling at random members of the Salty Club — who return the favor with an eye roll.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 7 Feb. 2025
Sure, Costner’s sincerity and mythical retelling of a camping trip may inspire some eye rolls.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 6 Feb. 2025
And while some critics insisted that the 25-year-old singer should not be mimicking such acts in front of her age-diverse crowd – eye roll – her fans couldn’t get enough.
—Meghan Mahar, Billboard, 23 Dec. 2024
Those two references, of course to the surprise endings of Citizen Kane and The Sixth Sense (sorry if that just ruined them for you), were meant as a jaded eye roll to a tiring complaint.
—Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for eye roll
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Rachel Raposas, People.com, 7 Feb. 2025
Sure, Costner’s sincerity and mythical retelling of a camping trip may inspire some eye rolls.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 6 Feb. 2025
And while some critics insisted that the 25-year-old singer should not be mimicking such acts in front of her age-diverse crowd – eye roll – her fans couldn’t get enough.
—Meghan Mahar, Billboard, 23 Dec. 2024
Those two references, of course to the surprise endings of Citizen Kane and The Sixth Sense (sorry if that just ruined them for you), were meant as a jaded eye roll to a tiring complaint.
—Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for eye roll
Articles Related to eye roll
Cite this Entry
“Eye roll.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eye%20roll. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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