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

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