black eye

noun

1. discoloration of the skin around the eye, resulting from a blow, bruise, etc.
2. a mark of shame, dishonor, etc.:

   These slums are a black eye to our town.

3. damaged reputation:

   Your behavior will give the family a black eye.

black eye

noun

1. bruising round the eye

Word History and Origins

Origin of black eye¹

First recorded in 1595–1605

Idioms and Phrases

A mark of shame, a humiliating setback, as in That there are enough homeless folks to need another shelter is a black eye for the administration . This metaphor alludes to having discolored flesh around the eye resulting from a blow. The term is also used literally, as in The mugger not only took Bill's wallet but gave him a black eye . [Late 1800s]

Example Sentences

He has black hair, black eyes, is 5 feet 9 inches tall, and weighs 180 pounds.

From Los Angeles Times

One recipient - who described her tumour as like a tennis ball - said she was out of hospital in just two days with nothing but a black eye.

From BBC

Gay’s allegiance to Shah was so blind, she even refused to say how she’d ended up with a black eye after a night of partying in San Diego.

From Los Angeles Times

“This is another black eye,” Dan Bubb, a professor of history with a focus on aviation at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said of the lawsuits.

From Los Angeles Times

Weaver called the investigation a “black eye” on the nearly 50-year-old nonprofit, which serves about 2 million people.

From Los Angeles Times