Meaning of eye up | Babel Free

Definitions

1. To examine closely something coveted.
   colloquial, idiomatic
2. To examine casually by eye, with little or no measuring or testing.
   colloquial, idiomatic

Equivalents

Examples

“That creep⟳ in the corner was eyeing me up.”

“The dog was eyeing up my steak.”

“Llanelli: An empty piece of land⟳ south of the station is being eyed up by Carmarthenshire Council, to create⟳ a better interchange for buses and taxis, and to build⟳ a car park⟳.”

“Sitting in one of the booths (with table and comfy seats) in the open⟳ plan⟳ ground floor reception, Network Rail Business Change⟳ Manager Sarah Newman explains how NR had been eyeing up the building in late 2024, with work⟳ starting on site in August 2025.”

“Hey, while you're there, take⟳ a look⟳ at their furnace. You don't have⟳ to inspect⟳ it — just eye it up and tell⟳ me whether it's decrepit or not.”

CEFR level