swivel-eyed

swivel-eyed

A child with a swivel-eyed condition looks at a picture book.

Definition
  1. Adjective:
    • Having a wild, uncontrolled, or fanatical look in one's eyes: "swivel-eyed" describes someone whose eyes appear to move erratically or who has a crazed, intense, and often irrational expression, typically associated with extreme anger, obsession, or fanaticism. The term suggests a lack of mental stability or calmness.
Usage Examples
  • (His wild, fanatical manner of speaking drove people away.)
  • (Her look was intense and irrational, showing extreme displeasure.)
  • (The people became visibly agitated and crazed with anger.)
Advanced Usage

  • "swivel-eyed fanatic": a person who is obsessively devoted to a cause or belief, often to an unhealthy or extreme degree.

    • He was dismissed as a swivel-eyed fanatic by the mainstream press. (He was seen as an irrational extremist.)

  • "swivel-eyed rage": a state of extreme, uncontrolled anger that is visibly expressed through erratic eye movements.

    • The coach's swivel-eyed rage after the loss was terrifying to the players. (His anger was so intense it made his eyes seem to dart wildly.)
Variants and Related Words

  • Swivel (n/v): a device that allows something to rotate freely; to turn or pivot on a central point.

    • The chair's swivel mechanism allows it to spin. (The chair can rotate.)
    • He swiveled his head to look behind him. (He turned his head quickly.)

  • Swivel-eyed (adj): the only common compound form; no other direct variants exist.

Synonyms
  • Crazed: wildly insane or irrational.
  • Fanatic: filled with excessive and uncritical enthusiasm.
  • Wild-eyed: having an expression of extreme excitement, anger, or madness.
  • Manic: showing wild, frenzied energy or behaviour.
Phrasal Verbs
  • (None directly related to "swivel-eyed"; the word is an adjective and does not form phrasal verbs.)
Related Idioms

  • To have a wild look in one's eyes: to appear crazed or dangerously intense.

    • He had a wild look in his eyes as he argued his point. (He seemed irrational and agitated.)

  • To be foaming at the mouth: to be extremely angry or fanatical (often used figuratively).

    • She was foaming at the mouth over the minor mistake. (She was irrationally furious.)