"eye-watering" meaning in English

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "eye",
        "3": "watering"
      },
      "expansion": "eye + watering",
      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "eye + watering",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more eye-watering",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most eye-watering",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "eye-watering (comparative more eye-watering, superlative most eye-watering)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "43 44 10 3",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Having an odour, vapours or smoke which causes irritation to the eyes."
      ],
      "id": "en-eye-watering-en-adj-raxQWEo3"
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "43 44 10 3",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Having an extremely bad odour."
      ],
      "id": "en-eye-watering-en-adj-HpDrGjoc",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figurative) Having an extremely bad odour."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "foul-smelling"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2021 January 25, Chris Barker, Dr Robin Russell-Jones, “Electric cars are not the only green solution”, in The Guardian",
          "text": "Toyota is developing a hydrogen fuel cell car, but the research and development costs are eye-watering. By contrast, a British firm, Riversimple, is producing a cheap, compact two-seater, which will probably come to dominate the small car market, particularly for drivers who cannot plug in a car at home.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2021 November 17, “Open Access: Hope for Woodhead”, in RAIL, number 944, page 64",
          "text": "Both residents and drivers know that the cost of the current proposals to improve the A628 from Mottram all the way to the Flouch Inn has already reached eye-watering billions.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2022 May 13, Eva Corlett, “As the shine comes off NZ Labour, Grant Robertson hopes his budget can steady the ship”, in The Guardian",
          "text": "With food prices at a record high, inflation at its highest in three decades, fuel prices topping $3 a litre and eye-watering housing costs, Labour has been paying for it in the polls.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2022 October 17, Jeremy Hunt, quotee, “Jeremy Hunt shreds Truss’s economic plans in astounding U-turn on tax”, in The Guardian",
          "text": "“That means decisions of eye-watering difficulty,” he said. “Every single one of those decisions – whether reductions in spending or increases in tax – will be shaped through core, compassionate Conservative values that will prioritise the needs of the most vulnerable.”",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "So expensive that (figuratively) it would make one's eyes water."
      ],
      "id": "en-eye-watering-en-adj-jmnNbVDO",
      "links": [
        [
          "expensive",
          "expensive"
        ],
        [
          "water",
          "water"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figurative) So expensive that (figuratively) it would make one's eyes water."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "expensive"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Of a shocking or surprising nature."
      ],
      "id": "en-eye-watering-en-adj-xxO-4S3b",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figurative) Of a shocking or surprising nature."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "surprising"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "eyewatering"
    }
  ],
  "word": "eye-watering"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English compound terms",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "eye",
        "3": "watering"
      },
      "expansion": "eye + watering",
      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "eye + watering",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more eye-watering",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most eye-watering",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "eye-watering (comparative more eye-watering, superlative most eye-watering)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Having an odour, vapours or smoke which causes irritation to the eyes."
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Having an extremely bad odour."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figurative) Having an extremely bad odour."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "foul-smelling"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2021 January 25, Chris Barker, Dr Robin Russell-Jones, “Electric cars are not the only green solution”, in The Guardian",
          "text": "Toyota is developing a hydrogen fuel cell car, but the research and development costs are eye-watering. By contrast, a British firm, Riversimple, is producing a cheap, compact two-seater, which will probably come to dominate the small car market, particularly for drivers who cannot plug in a car at home.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2021 November 17, “Open Access: Hope for Woodhead”, in RAIL, number 944, page 64",
          "text": "Both residents and drivers know that the cost of the current proposals to improve the A628 from Mottram all the way to the Flouch Inn has already reached eye-watering billions.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2022 May 13, Eva Corlett, “As the shine comes off NZ Labour, Grant Robertson hopes his budget can steady the ship”, in The Guardian",
          "text": "With food prices at a record high, inflation at its highest in three decades, fuel prices topping $3 a litre and eye-watering housing costs, Labour has been paying for it in the polls.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2022 October 17, Jeremy Hunt, quotee, “Jeremy Hunt shreds Truss’s economic plans in astounding U-turn on tax”, in The Guardian",
          "text": "“That means decisions of eye-watering difficulty,” he said. “Every single one of those decisions – whether reductions in spending or increases in tax – will be shaped through core, compassionate Conservative values that will prioritise the needs of the most vulnerable.”",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "So expensive that (figuratively) it would make one's eyes water."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "expensive",
          "expensive"
        ],
        [
          "water",
          "water"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figurative) So expensive that (figuratively) it would make one's eyes water."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "expensive"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Of a shocking or surprising nature."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figurative) Of a shocking or surprising nature."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "surprising"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "eyewatering"
    }
  ],
  "word": "eye-watering"
}