more than meets the eye

M

more than meets the eye

Meaning

• not as simple as it looks
• more complex or difficult than first imagined
• more to something than appears
• some hidden quantities, significance, facts, or motives
• appearances can be deceiving

Example Sentences

1. I had done some research, but there’s more to the subject than meets the eye.
2. Natalie was exhausted after her first week at the new job. She realised there was far more to the position than first met the eye.
3. Robert’s new girlfriend is not his usual type. She’s really interesting to talk to, and there’s far more to her than meets the eye.
4. It looked like a simple accident, but the detective suspected that there was more to the situation than met the eye.
5. The figures show that there is more to this than meets the eye.
6. Let’s investigate this further because I feel that there’s more than meets the eye.
7. Liam doesn’t seem too intelligent at first, but there’s more to him than meets the eye. He can win any brain game.

Origin

Here is an idiom reminding you that it is easy to misjudge someone or something. In use from around the 1800s, ‘meets the eye’ alludes to something that can be physically seen. So, when we add “more than,” it suggests that there are hidden depths yet to be revealed. It can be used in positive or negative connotations.

Synonym

• don’t judge a book by its cover

Eyes