Here’s how you might use it in a sentence: This phrase indicates that a person either has all the information or is entering a situation with the will and ability to learn it.
Can you think of any? Phrases That Mean the Opposite of “Eyes Wide Shut”Īs previously discussed, one phrase that means the opposite of “eyes wide shut” is the phrase it originates from: “eyes wide open”. These oxymorons add a playful feel to writing.Īnd there are many, many more out there. There are plenty of phrases we use every day that combine two things that ought to have opposite meanings. As Kubrick’s final film before his death, it holds the Guinness World Record for the longest continuous film shoot at 400 days! Other Common Oxymorons It is also the title of a 1999 psychological drama film by director Stanley Kubrick, starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. It conveys that the subject’s eyes are really, truly shut – rather than just a little. This contrast seems to imply that the subject is making a great effort to keep their eyes “shut” when they ought to be “wide”.Īs it can’t fulfill its true meaning in this context, “wide” also just takes on the role of an emphasizer. It also lends the phrase an inherent comedy because of the impossible juxtaposition between “wide” and “shut”. “Shut” is the opposite of “open”, so using it as a replacement creates a phrase that has the opposite meaning of the original. “Eyes wide shut” is a play on words, originating from the phrase “eyes wide open”.Īlthough it’s not clear who said this phrase first or where exactly it comes from, this phrase means that you are able to see clearly and understand a whole situation because your eyes are so open. Eyes wide shut, they jumped into the abyss.Kubrick’s ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ is not generally considered to be his best work by anyone but the man himself.He just refuses to believe a woman can do the job, even though he sees how hard we work – his eyes are wide shut.She thought she knew everything about him, but her eyes had been wide shut this whole time.I saw the signs, you know? But I didn’t want to believe it, so I kept my eyes wide shut.Eyes wide shut, she walked into that viper’s den with nothing but the wits in her head for protection.It can be used to create a humorous or critical tone: The phrase “eyes wide shut” is an oxymoron that adds some absurdism to a statement.
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How to Use “Eyes Wide Shut” in a Sentence Watch the video: Only 1 percent of our visitors get these 3 grammar questions right. Its oxymoronic and impossible nature lends the phrase a humorous tone, as if gently mocking the person referred to for their ignorance or naivety.
This is defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as “a phrase or statement that seems to say two opposite things”. He knows about the affair but he’s going through with the wedding anyway! His eyes are wide shut.He hadn’t known about the affair before they were married.Here are two examples where it is used in each sense: Alternatively, it can show that a person does have all the information but is choosing to ignore it.
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The phrase “eyes wide shut” refers to a person who doesn’t have a full understanding of a situation due to their refusal to acknowledge certain elements of it. So, what exactly does it mean? What Does the Phrase “Eyes Wide Shut” Mean? After all, it is impossible to have your eyes wide shut. “Eyes wide shut” – it’s a relatively common phrase but not one that makes much sense.