Skip to learning
Practice

THE IDIOM COLLECTION LEARN & PRACTISE

Not bat an eyelid

Understand the meaning. See it in context. Make it yours.

01 / UNDERSTAND

Meaning in plain English

Show no visible surprise or concern about something unexpected.

02 / SEE IT IN CONTEXT

The expression in a sentence

  1. When I asked for a second bowl of soup, the host didn’t bat an eyelid.

03 / CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING

Quick idiom quiz

Try the question without looking back, then write a sentence of your own. You can retry as often as you like.

Can you recall the expression?

Which expression from this lesson matches this meaning?

Show no visible surprise or concern about something unexpected.
Show the answer

Not bat an eyelid — Show no visible surprise or concern about something unexpected.

Try your own sentence (optional)

Make it yours

Write one sentence using “Not bat an eyelid” about your own life.

Check your sentence

Does your sentence match this meaning?

Show no visible surprise or concern about something unexpected.

Compare: When I asked for a second bowl of soup, the host didn’t bat an eyelid.

Check the spelling and how the expression fits the sentence. Your example can be different.

Self-review only. Your sentence is not automatically marked, saved or submitted.

This quiz is for practice. To save lesson completion on this device, complete the checks in the app.

GO DEEPER

More ways to understand and use it

When to use it

Use this conversational expression when someone reacts calmly to surprising news or events. It describes their outward reaction rather than proving what they feel inside.

More examples in context

  • The technician didn’t bat an eyelid when we described the strange noise.
  • She agreed to the sudden change without batting an eyelid.

Usage note

This is British English; American English often uses “not bat an eye” or “not bat an eyelash”. After “without”, use “batting”. The usual idiomatic use is negative.

A short conversation

A: Was the receptionist surprised by our very early arrival?
B: She didn’t bat an eyelid. She simply checked whether our room was ready.
A: That was reassuring.

One more practice question

Someone does not bat an eyelid at surprising news. What can you conclude?

A. They react with obvious shock.
B. They show no visible surprise.

Check your answer

B. The idiom concerns the absence of a visible surprised reaction.

Related lessons

Meaning and usage checked against Cambridge Dictionary. Explanations, examples and conversation are original.

Share this idiom