eye contact

noun

: visual contact with another person's eyes

Examples of eye contact in a Sentence

He maintained eye contact with me throughout the conversation. The speaker made eye contact with audience members. The jury avoided eye contact with the defendant as the verdict was read.
Recent Examples on the Web Maintain eye contact, nod affirmatively, and use nonverbal cues to show attentiveness. Johnny C. Taylor Jr., USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2024 Instead, maintain eye contact with the shark and read its body language. Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 3 Mar. 2024 The spontaneous conversations, the handshake, the eye contact—these elements forge connections in a way that virtual events cannot replicate. Dev Gadhvi, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 That’s because not only will Moxie respond appropriately to your comments and questions, the robot will maintain eye contact better than many humans do. Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2024 Your body language might include eye contact, a straight posture and relaxed gestures. Annie Midori Atherton, Washington Post, 6 Feb. 2024 Maintain eye contact, but do not approach the animal. Craig Caudill, Field & Stream, 14 Feb. 2024 When the governess wasn’t looking, the students would sneak the chocolate inside the woman’s bag or leave it on the table so that the woman would have some eye contact with the guy who gave her the chocolate. Yolanda Evans, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Feb. 2024 When insulted, your first impulse is to: Turn the other cheek (3) Don’t make eye contact and walk away (5) Bide your time for six years and then betray the person who wronged you (7) 16. Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'eye contact.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1942, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of eye contact was in 1942

Dictionary Entries Near eye contact

Cite this Entry

“Eye contact.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eye%20contact. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

eye contact

noun
: the act of looking another person straight in the eye

Medical Definition

eye contact

noun
: visual contact with another person's eyes
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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