noun

eyesore

EYE-saw

Eyesore (noun) means something ugly or unpleasant to look at, especially a building or piece of land. Example: “The abandoned factory has been an eyesore on the high street for years.”

noun

Something ugly or unpleasant to look at, especially a building or piece of land.

"The abandoned factory has been an eyesore on the high street for years."

"Locals complained that the new car park was an eyesore."

How to use eyesore

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishAnything so ugly it seems to hurt your eyes to look at.

Common pairings

a real eyesore visual eyesore an eyesore on the landscape

Word forms

eyesores plural

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Fill the gap

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The abandoned factory has been an _____ on the high street for years.

Etymology

From Middle English roots meaning literally "eye sore" — something that hurts to look at.

Origin: Middle English

Rhymes for eyesore

ore bore tore yore lore more core fore sore gore pore amore

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Frequently asked questions

What does “eyesore” mean?

The word “eyesore” means something ugly or unpleasant to look at, especially a building or piece of land. In plain terms, anything so ugly it seems to hurt your eyes to look at.

How do you pronounce “eyesore”?

“Eyesore” is pronounced EYE-saw (/ˈaɪsoɹ/ in IPA).

How do you use “eyesore” in a sentence?

Here is “eyesore” used in a sentence: “The abandoned factory has been an eyesore on the high street for years.”

What part of speech is “eyesore”?

“Eyesore” is a noun.

Where does the word “eyesore” come from?

The word “eyesore” comes from Middle English. From Middle English roots meaning literally "eye sore" — something that hurts to look at.