Meanings
- humorousidiomaticinformalpluralplural onlyThe illusion that people are more sexually attractive, brought on by alcohol consumption.
1 more example
“Their findings essentially suggest that while intoxication may not have resulted in beer goggles, it did seem to increase liquid courage, in that people were more likely to indicate a desire to interact with attractive others,” said Monk, whose previous research had found some evidence to support the beer goggles effect.
2023 August 30, Linda Geddes, “‘Beer goggles’ study finds alcohol does not make people seem better looking”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 04 Nov 2023
Origin
Originally 1980s US college slang, from the notion that consumption of beer and other alcoholic beverages causes people to see things differently, as if wearing a type of goggles.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Dutch bierbril
- bierbrilillusion that people are more sexually attractive, brought on by alcohol consumption
Finnish kaljan kaunistava vaikutus
- kaljan kaunistava vaikutusillusion that people are more sexually attractive, brought on by alcohol consumption
German Bierbrille
- Bierbrilleillusion that people are more sexually attractive, brought on by alcohol consumption
Icelandic bjórgleraugu
- bjórglerauguillusion that people are more sexually attractive, brought on by alcohol consumption
Norwegian Bokmål ølbrille
- ølbrilleillusion that people are more sexually attractive, brought on by alcohol consumption
Polish wyższa atrakcyjność spodowowana przez alkohol
- wyższa atrakcyjność spodowowana przez alkoholillusion that people are more sexually attractive, brought on by alcohol consumption
Cite this entry
beer goggles. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beer%20goggles
“beer goggles.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beer%20goggles. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “beer goggles,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beer%20goggles.
Source: beer goggles on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.