Blank-eyed

Describing a person whose eyes lack expression, showing no emotion or interest; appearing vacant or empty. Often used to portray a state of shock, exhaustion, detachment, or simply a lack of understanding. This vacant gaze can be unsettling as it suggests a disconnect from reality or a profound inner state that is hidden from view. It can also convey a sense of indifference, bewilderment, or even a chilling lack of empathy depending on the context. This term paints a picture of an absent or unreadable visual experience with an empty emotional effect.

Blank-eyed meaning with examples

• After the accident, she stared at the wreckage, her face pale and blank-eyed, unable to process what had happened. The trauma had left her mind reeling, and her gaze was fixed and distant. The world seemed to fade away as the reality of the damage began to manifest in her eyes.
• He listened to the bad news, then turned toward the interviewer, with his face a stoic mask and blank-eyed as if trying to detach from the harsh words. The emptiness within the man's visual perspective indicated a desire to not acknowledge what had been relayed.
• The exhausted traveler, weary from the journey, slumped in his chair, blank-eyed, and barely registering the world around him. The fatigue clouded his senses and the effects of the journey were visible, and a dullness glazed his vision of reality.
• The young soldier, shell-shocked by the battle, sat motionless, blank-eyed, staring into the distance. It was a moment of pure mental and emotional overload and his eyes were like that of an animal that has been in mortal fear of death.
• She had become blank-eyed, and she had not heard any of his words, and I was not even sure if she was breathing. The life was gone, and everything was in shadow. This wasn't even her, so it was not a matter of not understanding him.