eye contact

noun

1. the act of looking directly into another's eyes:

   We never made eye contact at any time during the interview.

2. Psychology. a meeting of the eyes of two persons, regarded as a meaningful nonverbal form of communication.

eye contact

noun

1. a direct look between two people; meeting of eyes

   he maintained eye contact with his interrogator

Word History and Origins

Origin of eye contact¹

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

Djokovic said Becker was someone he would "look to for eye contact in the tough moments".

From BBC

"There's chemistry, sometimes you meet somebody, straight away you make eye contact and something flows. That's the case with those two," said Arteta.

From BBC

And for the next month, I avoided eye contact with him, waiting for the humiliation to subside.

From Los Angeles Times

“Without you, man, I don’t think I was going to make it, man. I was bleeding out right there, didn’t have anyone to help me and you know I had about a dozen cars go by and see me and make eye contact and they didn’t stop, they just kept going. I was at the end of the rope,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

For example, when China banned TV shows depicting same-sex kissing or hand-holding in 2016, producers found they could use shots of eye contact between characters to communicate intimacy.

From Los Angeles Times