eye roll

noun

variants or less commonly eye-roll

ˈī-ˌrōl 

plural eye rolls also eye-rolls

: an upward turning of the eyes especially as an expression of annoyance, exasperation, disbelief, etc. : an instance of rolling the eyes

Historically, anyone who dares to give pro athletes mental advice—be they M.D.s, psychologists or shamans—often gets the eye roll or the pat on the back.

—Jaimal Yogis

Contempt, one of the emotions Gottman watches for at the Love Lab, is detectable through the … buccinator, which pulls the lip corners to the side and creates a distinctly uncute dimple; it's often combined with an upward eye roll.

—Casey Greenfield

His stories always took their time, his daughter said, and usually some winding turns, too. His family's eye-rolls only made him go slower.

—Peter Schworm

"Mom!" She gave me the parents-are-weird eye-roll. The truth is, though, she's proud of me.

—Katha Pollitt

Examples of eye roll in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Candidates running on a platform of normalcy, of maintaining the status quo with a couple of careful tweaks, only prompt exasperated eye rolls from a decisive chunk of the American electorate. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024

In truth, the eye roll might have been missed had Mather not been trying to film a video of them together. —Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2024

So instead of drawing them closer, the silent treatment (and any accompanying eye rolls) has the opposite effect, leaving your partner confused, insecure, or worse: doubting your connection altogether. —Jenna Ryu, SELF, 16 Oct. 2024

Like McIntosh, Hunt, 65, is a grassroots political activist who still attends public meetings and protests in a face mask to guard against COVID-19, drawing eye rolls from McIntosh, who protested mask and vaccine mandates while Trump was president. —Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined above