as in cotton candy
something attractive but lacking in substance
a fashionable portrait painter in his day, he is now regarded as a minor purveyor of eye candy
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Recent Examples of eye candy
But in these images Uranus’s rings and clouds are mostly just eye candy, says Heidi Hammel, a JWST interdisciplinary scientist at the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, who was not involved with the work.
—
Lee Billings, Scientific American, 24 Feb. 2026
Dane had initially agreed to appear in only one episode of the long-running ABC drama, but remained a fixture — and eye candy for fans — for more than 130 episodes until 2012.
—Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
Dad and Mom would pile Buck and his two older siblings into the car and drive into Hollywood, which was quickly emerging as America's eye candy, and get the best table at every restaurant—especially at Charley Brown's Steakhouse, their favorite.
—CBS News, 8 Feb. 2026
As always with Araki, the production and costume design is an embarrassment of eye candy.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for eye candy
Lee Billings, Scientific American, 24 Feb. 2026
Dane had initially agreed to appear in only one episode of the long-running ABC drama, but remained a fixture — and eye candy for fans — for more than 130 episodes until 2012.
—Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
Dad and Mom would pile Buck and his two older siblings into the car and drive into Hollywood, which was quickly emerging as America's eye candy, and get the best table at every restaurant—especially at Charley Brown's Steakhouse, their favorite.
—CBS News, 8 Feb. 2026
As always with Araki, the production and costume design is an embarrassment of eye candy.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for eye candy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for eye candy
cotton candy
Noun
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The new edible notes are warmer, richer and far more grown-up than the cotton candy era that defined early 2010s gourmands.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Sacbee.com,
12 June 2026
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Sour Cherry Cotton Candy Customers say this sour cotton candy truly brings on the tartness.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Eye candy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eye%20candy. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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