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bug-eyed

American

[buhg-ahyd] / ˈbʌgˌaɪd /

adjective

with bulging eyes, as from fright, surprise, or wonderment; wide-eyed.

Etymology

Origin of bug-eyed

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25; bug ¹ + eyed

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.

She is presented as bug-eyed and insane, as Mrs. Lovett asking if you wouldn’t like another piece of pie.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 18, 2025

To answer your question: Yes, Lexi Freiman’s “The Book of Ayn” is about Ayn Rand, the bug-eyed author of “Atlas Shrugged” and “The Fountainhead.”

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 14, 2023

But his unwillingness to be a bug-eyed lunatic has hurt his fundraising numbers.

From Salon • Sep. 14, 2023

But Durkee casts doubt, wondering why those closest to Shakespeare would select this cartoonish picture — “the bug-eyed bloke with the pecan head” — for such a worthy tribute.

From Washington Post • Apr. 25, 2023

His postcard of Miles Davis wearing the bug-eyed glasses was pinned to the bulletin board above his desk.

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen

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