have eyes bigger than one's stomach

verb

To take more food on one's plate than one can eat; to be greedy.

“He has eyes bigger than his stomach.”

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Meanings

verbhave eyes bigger than one's stomach (third-person singular simple present has eyes bigger than one's stomach, present participle having eyes bigger than one's stomach, simple past and past participle had eyes bigger than one's stomach)

present singular third person has eyes bigger than one's stomach · participle present having eyes bigger than one's stomach · participle past had eyes bigger than one's stomach · past had eyes bigger than one's stomach · alternative have eyes bigger than one's belly · alternative one's eyes are bigger than one's stomach

  1. idiomaticTo take more food on one's plate than one can eat; to be greedy.

    He has eyes bigger than his stomach.

    1 more example

    You have eyes bigger than your stomach.

  2. idiomaticTo want more than one can handle.

    When choosing software, don't have eyes bigger than your stomach. Rather, stick to whatever level of software you need, and no more.

    2010, Veechi Curtis, Lynley Averis, Bookkeeping For Dummies, page 75

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
have eyes bigger than one's belly

Translations

Chinese Cantonese 眼闊肚窄 /眼阔肚窄
  • 眼闊肚窄 /眼阔肚窄 (ngaan⁵ fut³ tou⁵ zaak³)take more food than one can eat
Chinese Mandarin 眼大肚子小, 眼饞肚飽 /眼馋肚饱
  • 眼大肚子小 (yǎn dà dùzi xiǎo)take more food than one can eat
  • 眼饞肚飽 /眼馋肚饱 (yǎnchándùbǎo)take more food than one can eat
Dutch ogen groter dan je maag hebben
  • ogen groter dan je maag hebbentake more food than one can eat
Finnish olla isommat silmät kuin vatsa
  • olla isommat silmät kuin vatsatake more food than one can eat
French avoir les yeux plus gros que le ventre
  • avoir les yeux plus gros que le ventretake more food than one can eat
German die Augen sind größer als der Magen
  • die Augen sind größer als der Magentake more food than one can eat
Hungarian nagyobb a szeme, mint a szája
  • nagyobb a szeme, mint a szájatake more food than one can eat
Italian avere gli occhi più grandi dello stomaco
  • avere gli occhi più grandi dello stomacotake more food than one can eat
Norwegian øynene er større enn magen, magen blir fortere mett enn øynene
  • øynene er større enn magentake more food than one can eat
  • magen blir fortere mett enn øynenetake more food than one can eat
Polish wziąć za dużo jedzenia
  • wziąć za dużo jedzeniatake more food than one can eat
Portuguese ter os olhos maiores que a boca, ter mais olhos que barriga
  • ter os olhos maiores que a bocatake more food than one can eat
  • ter mais olhos que barrigatake more food than one can eat
Russian одни́ глаза́ не сы́ты
  • одни́ глаза́ не сы́ты (odní glazá ne sýty)take more food than one can eat
Scottish Gaelic is motha mo shùil na mo bhrù
  • is motha mo shùil na mo bhrùtake more food than one can eat
Spanish antes se llena el cuajo que el ojo
  • antes se llena el cuajo que el ojotake more food than one can eat
Ukrainian очима все з’їв би
  • очима все з’їв би (očyma vse zʺjiv by)take more food than one can eat
Vietnamese con mắt lớn hơn cái bụng, no bụng đói con mắt
  • con mắt lớn hơn cái bụngtake more food than one can eat
  • no bụng đói con mắttake more food than one can eat
  • mắt to hơn bụngtake more food than one can eat
Cite this entry
APA

have eyes bigger than one's stomach. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/have%20eyes%20bigger%20than%20one's%20stomach

MLA

“have eyes bigger than one's stomach.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/have%20eyes%20bigger%20than%20one's%20stomach. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “have eyes bigger than one's stomach,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/have%20eyes%20bigger%20than%20one's%20stomach.

Source: have eyes bigger than one's stomach on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.