How to Roll Your Eyes

Last Updated: February 16, 2022 References

Rolling your eyes is a way to tell someone that you're annoyed or frustrated. It is a personal and sometimes provocative expression that you can use to great effect in social situations. The motion itself is simple, once you've figured it out. Make sure that you know both how and when to roll your eyes!

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Rolling Your Eyes

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Swing your eyes upward. The act of rolling your eyes is pretty simple, once you figure out how to do it. To start: look up as high as you can without moving your head. In other words, bring your gaze to the apex of your eye sockets, or stare up into your forehead. Now, take the time to swing your gaze in an arc from one side of your eyes to the other, all the way around. Someone looking at you will see your pupils "roll" over the top of your eyes, so that the whites of your eyes are showing.^{[1]
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2
Hold the roll so that only the whites of your eyes are visible. If you roll your pupils high enough, your eyes will appear pure white. Keep your gaze firmly fixed at the upper inside of your eye sockets. Roll your eyes further and further back into your head until you can swivel them no more.
- Take a picture of yourself to confirm that you've rolled your eyes in the way that you intended. Alternately, ask a friend to watch you do it and offer feedback. You won't be able to use a mirror to watch yourself.
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Roll your eyes at someone. The eye roll is an expression that humans use to convey a feeling of displeasure to other humans.^{[2]
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Research source} You're doing it for an audience, not for yourself – so it is important to know your audience. Sometimes, you might roll your eyes at someone to show them that you are annoyed with them, that you don't believe them, or that you aren't interested in what they're saying.^{[3]
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Research source} Other times, you may roll your eyes at Person A behind the back of Person B in order to tell Person A that you're frustrated with Person B. Be careful: if Person B notices, he or she might not be amused.
- If you're rolling your eyes at a group of people, you might be genuinely trying to express your frustration, and you might just be looking for a laugh. If you're going for dramatic effect, you'll want to exaggerate the eye roll as much as possible so that it's more noticeable.
- If you only want one person to "receive" the eye roll, try locking eyes with them first. Once you have been looking into each other's eyes for a brief instant, roll your eyes and make sure that they see it.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Perfecting the Eye Roll

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Practice. The best way to improve your eye roll is to understand how it looks to others. Watch yourself in front of a mirror, if you can, although you might have trouble catching yourself in the act of rolling. Try filming yourself with a webcam or cell phone camera, then watching the playback to see what your eye roll looks like. If you're really serious about it, practice in front of a friend and have him/her tell you how you're doing.
- Work on engaging your eye muscles, and keep practicing until you can roll them fluidly. The eye roll, well-executed, should look smooth and effortless.
- Don't practice too hard! It is easy to injure or tire your eye muscles from constant rolling.^{[4]
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Exaggerate the eye roll. Make it slow and dramatic. Don't focus on what you see – focus on what you look like. The intended target may be more likely to notice and appreciate your eye roll if it is dramatic. However, you might consider a quick and stealthy eye roll if you don't want everyone present to pick up on your feelings.
- Try heightening the effect by combining your eye roll with a head-shake, a sigh, or both. Make yourself look visibly exasperated.
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Be careful how you use it. The eye roll can be a provocative expression. Sometimes, rolling your eyes at someone will make them upset with you – and it may even make a conflict worse. If you are legitimately frustrated with someone, try talking out your problems with them rather than passive-aggressively rolling your eyes.

Community Q&A

Question

How can I roll my eyes like Undertaker?

Community Answer

Close your eyes. When you open them, look up. It takes practice to perfect it.
Question

How do I do a "duh" look?

Community Answer

Tilt your head a lot to one side and forward, roll your eyes and open your mouth a little to make it look like you're annoyed.
Question

My eyes hurt when I try to roll them higher into my head. What can I do?

Community Answer

Try doing it slower or stop doing it for a month or more. Don't push yourself.