lays eyes on
Catches sight of
To lay eyes on something is to see it, usually for the first time or after a long absence: I knew I wanted to marry her the moment I laid eyes on her.
The phrase emphasizes the visual encounter itself—often suggesting impact or significance.
Almost always appears with a time marker: the first time I laid eyes on, haven't laid eyes on him in years.
- beholdsPerceives with sight
- eyeballOrgan of sight
- observePerceive with attention
- findLocate through effort
- come acrossFind accidentally
notice · glimpse · identify · stumble upon · glance · perceive · realize · catch sight of · detect · locate · scan · admire · peer · marvel · gaze · appreciate · uncover · discern
lays eyes onoverlooks
Misses or surveys
misses · loses sight of · ignores · passes over · disregards
lays eyes onignores
Refuses to acknowledge
disregards · tunes out · takes no notice of · glosses over · blanks
lays eyes onpasses by