averting eyes
Breaking visual contact
Averting eyes is the act of deliberately looking away from someone or something, typically to avoid confrontation, hide emotion, or signal discomfort.
People avert their eyes from gruesome scenes, from someone they've wronged, or out of deference: She averted her eyes when he started to undress.
The gesture often communicates shame, submission, or the wish not to engage.
- glanceBrief, casual look
- stolen glanceSecret momentary look
- gazeFixed, intent look
- lowered gazeEyes pointed downward
- shyReserved and retiring
bashful · shame · guilt · embarrassed · downcast · sideways · floor · evasive · uncomfortable · flinch · turn · blush · modest · submissive · body language · social anxiety · nervous · awkward
- awkward momentsoops, cringe, embarrassment, yikes, awkward
- fidgetingfidgeting, fidget, tapping, fiddle, finger tapping
- submission gestureskowtow, genuflection, genuflect, genuflecting, prostration
averting eyesstaring
Gazing without break
locking eyes · staring down · holding gaze · gazing · eyeballing
avert, averts, averted, averting, aversion, aversive, aversions, eyes, eyeing