See eye to eye
/siː aɪ tuː aɪ/neutral, informalUK · US · AU · IE · CA
What does “See eye to eye” mean?
See eye to eye means to agree fully with someone or share the exact same opinion.
This expression means to have the same opinion as another person. You will hear it most often in the negative form, such as 'we do not see eye to eye.' It shows that two people view a situation differently.
The idiom is safe to use at work and with friends. It is a polite way to mention a disagreement without sounding angry.
When do people say it?
People often use this phrase in negative sentences to talk about disagreements.
“My brother and I get along well, but we do not see eye to eye on politics.”
Is it formal or informal?
Register: neutral, informal. It is most at home in both everyday conversation and professional writing. Most common in UK and US and AU and IE and CA.
Where does it come from?
This phrase comes from the Book of Isaiah in the Bible. It originally described people looking directly into each other's eyes in clear mutual understanding.
Origin confidence: Well documented
How do you say “See eye to eye” in other languages?
Last reviewed 2026-09-11