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Synonyms

bright-eyed

American  
[brahyt-ahyd] / ˈbraɪtˌaɪd /

adjective

  1. having bright eyes.

  2. alertly eager.

idioms

  1. bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, alertly eager; full of energy and enthusiasm.

    Get a good night's sleep so you'll be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in the morning.
bright-eyed British  

adjective

  1. eager; fresh and enthusiastic

  2. informal keen, confident, and alert

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of bright-eyed

First recorded in 1585–95

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The first time David Byrne’s disco musical “Here Lies Love” was publicly staged at Mass MoCA in 2012, Josh Dela Cruz was a bright-eyed ensemble actor thrilled by the novelty of joining a majority-Filipino cast.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2026

Frank is the bright-eyed, mustachioed face of Christian music’s new wave: He has earned more than 1.2 billion on-demand streams in the U.S. in 2025, according to the data company Luminate.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 9, 2025

But upon taking office in June 2022, she brought the youthful, bright-eyed energy of her campaign into Bamban Municipal Hall, painting it pink and decorating the outside of the building with flowers.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2025

I do think a lot of times female protagonists have been very young and bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and very plucky.

From Salon • Aug. 12, 2024

Camey stood beside them, hawk-nosed and bright-eyed, guns drawn on the chief mate, who stood in the doorway to the great cabin.

From "The Reader" by Traci Chee

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.