Meaning
To agree fully with someone on an issue, sharing essentially the same view or judgment.
It’s most often used in the negative (“we don’t see eye to eye on this”) to acknowledge a disagreement diplomatically, without necessarily framing it as a serious conflict.
Origin
The phrase is biblical in origin, taken from the Book of Isaiah (52:8) in the King James Bible: “Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion.” In its original context, the image describes watchmen witnessing the same event together, in complete shared understanding, at the same moment — a picture of total, unified perception that translated smoothly into the general figurative sense of agreement used in English today, independent of any religious context.
Examples
My sister and I don’t always see eye to eye on politics.
The two co-founders finally see eye to eye on the company’s direction.
We don’t see eye to eye about how to raise the kids, but we work it out.
A: Did the negotiation go well? B: Not really, we still don’t see eye to eye on the price.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'See eye to eye' mean?
To agree fully with someone on an issue, sharing essentially the same view or judgment.
It’s most often used in the negative (“we don’t see eye to eye on this”) to acknowledge a disagreement diplomatically, without necessarily framing it as a serious conflict.