cockeyed

American  

[kok-ahyd] / ˈkɒkˌaɪd /

adjective

1. cross-eyed.

2. having a squinting eye.

3. twisted, tilted, or slanted to one side.

4. Slang.

   1. foolish; absurd.

   2. intoxicated; drunk.

   3. completely wrong.

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cockeyed British  

/ ˈkɒkˌaɪd /

adjective

1. afflicted with cross-eye, squint, or any other visible abnormality of the eyes

2. appearing to be physically or logically abnormal, absurd, etc; crooked; askew

   cockeyed ideas

3. drunk

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Other Word Forms

• cockeyedly adverb
• cockeyedness noun

Etymology

Origin of cockeyed

1715–25; cock ² (v.) + eyed

Explanation

Something that's off-kilter, crooked, or strangely twisted is cockeyed. If the cockeyed pictures on your grandparents' wall drive you crazy, you may need to go around their house straightening them all. If your hat's on cockeyed, it's askew, leaning to one side, and if the lights on your friend's Christmas tree are cockeyed, they're drooping in a lopsided way. Something that doesn't make sense or isn't believable can also be called cockeyed: "Then he told this cockeyed story about having lunch with the President." In the 1920s and 30s, the word also meant "drunk." It started out, in the 19th century, meaning "squint-eyed."

Example Sentences

Mr. Braun, who appeared in the series “Succession,” is a good foot taller than his co-star, giving an amusing physical aspect to their cockeyed friendship.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

It’s the humans, though, that you’ll remember from the ground up: Adams’ camera-friendly energy and hard-won serenity; Keoghan’s cockeyed warmth, just this side of menacing; Rogowski’s strange, commanding woundedness.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 14, 2024

Likewise, the cockeyed view of these Texans, who sometimes, but not always, let other people get away with things, is endearing.

From Salon • Apr. 12, 2024

With LuPone’s perversely opportunistic Mrs. Lovett reviewing the prospective cannibalistic menu, his Sweeney perfectly complemented her cockeyed humor with his own savage drollery.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 31, 2023

“I pray to sweet baby Jesus that bad marksmanship ain’t something that run in the Bobo family. If you’s as cockeyed a shot as your ma was, my goose is cooked. And yourn too.”

From "The Journey of Little Charlie" by Christopher Paul Curtis