Definition

Noun: The natural ability to see; the faculty or power of vision. It refers specifically to the capacity of the eyes to perceive objects and light, often measured in terms of clarity and range.

Usage

"Eyesight" is an uncountable noun used to describe the general quality or state of a person's vision. It is commonly used with adjectives (e.g., good, poor, sharp, failing) and verbs related to perception or change (e.g., have, test, lose, improve).

Examples

• She has excellent eyesight and can read signs from very far away.
• His eyesight began to deteriorate as he grew older.
• Regular eye exams are important for maintaining good eyesight.
• The job requires perfect eyesight and good hand-eye coordination.

Advanced Usage

• "The naked eye": This phrase is related to unaided vision. While not using "eyesight" directly, it describes seeing without instruments like telescopes or microscopes.
  • The planet is visible to the naked eye on a clear night.
• "Within eyesight" / "in eyesight": Meaning within the range of vision; able to be seen.
  • Keep the children within eyesight at all times.
• "Eyesight test": A common compound term for an examination to check visual acuity.
  • All drivers must pass a standard eyesight test.

Variants and Related Words

• Vision (n): A more general term that can mean eyesight, but also refers to the act or power of seeing, or something seen in a dream or imagination. (e.g., ; ).
• Eyes (n, pl): The physical organs of sight. Often used informally to mean eyesight in phrases like "use your eyes" or "in my eyes."
• Visual acuity (n): The technical or medical term for the sharpness or clarity of eyesight.
• Sight (n): Can be synonymous with eyesight (e.g., ), but also refers to the act of seeing something specific (e.g., ) or a device on a weapon (e.g., ).

Synonyms

• Sight
• Vision
• Visual perception

Antonyms

• Blindness
• Sightlessness

Related Phrases and Idioms

• "A sight for sore eyes": A person or thing that one is very pleased or relieved to see. (Note: This idiom uses "sight," not "eyesight," but is closely related to the concept of seeing).
  • After being lost for hours, the rescue team was a sight for sore eyes.
• "Out of sight, out of mind": Said to emphasize that people quickly forget someone or something if they are no longer visible or present.
• "Turn a blind eye": To deliberately ignore or refuse to notice something.
  • The manager turned a blind eye to the minor safety violations.

Noun

1. normal use of the faculty of vision