beady-eyed

[ bee-dee-ahyd ]

adjective

1. marked by or having small, glittering eyes, especially eyes that seem to gleam with malice, avarice, or lechery.
2. staring with suspicion, skepticism, etc.:

   The gambler gave the newcomer a beady-eyed look.

Word History and Origins

Origin of beady-eyed¹

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

We hear cracking bones, see a pile of entrails, watch Sue suture Elisabeth’s back, and get an uncomfortable close-up of Harvey frenetically masticating beady-eyed shrimp.

From Salon

Saucy Beatrice looked up, beady-eyed, to catch Lady Augusta’s attention.

From Literature

These beady-eyed amphibians can be found on the banks of noisy streams throughout China, where the rapids would drown out ordinary croaks and chirps.

From Science Magazine

But numbers of the craggy, beady-eyed amphibians have plummeted in recent decades, with only about 126 streams now harboring healthy populations—and scientists didn't know why.

From Scientific American

It was an unlucky dinosaur that came face-to-face with the beady-eyed glare and giant, toothy grimace of the iconic Tyrannosaurus rex.

From Scientific American