Meaning
What one person finds beautiful, attractive, or appealing can be completely different from what another person finds beautiful, because judgments of beauty depend entirely on the individual observer, not on any objective standard.
It is used to gently settle a disagreement about taste, whether about art, a person’s looks, or anything else, by pointing out that there is no single correct opinion on the matter.
Origin
The saying was phrased in its modern form by the Irish novelist Margaret Wolfe Hungerford in her 1878 novel Molly Bawn, where she wrote beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The underlying idea, however, is much older, tracing back to ancient Greek philosophy, where thinkers such as Plato already debated whether beauty exists as an objective quality in things themselves or only as a subjective impression formed in the mind of whoever perceives it.
Examples
I personally do not like the new building’s design, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
He thought the painting was ugly, while she found it stunning, proving once again that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Do not worry about what other people think of your haircut, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
A: How can anyone find that old car attractive?
B: Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I suppose.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder' mean?
What one person finds beautiful, attractive, or appealing can be completely different from what another person finds beautiful, because judgments of beauty depend entirely on the individual observer, not on any objective standard.
It is used to gently settle a disagreement about taste, whether about art, a person’s looks, or anything else, by pointing out that there is no single correct opinion on the matter.