# occhi lucidi



## ortensia

Hi there!
Is there any particular English expression to say "avere gli occhi lucidi", when you are almost in tears but not yet?

Thank you.


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## Paulfromitaly

Maybe "bleary eyes" could work, although it's related to eyes' tiredness rather than crying.


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## You little ripper!

*Eyes glistening (with tears)/glistening eyes*.


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## ortensia

Molte grazie!


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## MayaRomin

Ciao,
Come traduzione di *occhi lucidi* viene proposto "watery eyes" tuttavia mi domando se questa traduzione sia corretta nel caso in cui gli occhi siano lucidi a causa della febbre. 
Potreste gentilmente confermare?
Grazie in anticipo!
MR


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## Tegs

Ci puoi dare la frase intera?


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## LIFEATER72

I think it is also used for cold weather so I would translate it as _watery eyes for (low/high) temperature_.


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## MayaRomin

ciao Tegs,

La frase intera è "*Vi sentite meglio?”, gli chiese, notando gli occhi lucidi e il pallore del viso.
*Dalle definizioni fornite online non mi era chiaro se potessi usare watery eyes oppure un altro aggettivo più appropriato per indicare il tipico sguardo da febbre.
La mia traduzione era stata: "are you feeling better?", she asked, noting the watery eyes and the pallor of his face.
Grazie!


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## Alessandrino

Out of curiosity: what about _moist_? Is it stronger than "occhi lucidi", or does it work just fine?


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## You little ripper!

'Shiny' and 'bright' are two words used to describe the eyes in relation to a fever.

eyes bright with fever

eyes shiny with fever


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## MayaRomin

Grazie Charles! E pensare che Google Translation mi aveva dato bright eyes e io non gli ho creduto!


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## You little ripper!

MayaRomin said:


> Grazie Charles! E pensare che Google Translation mi aveva dato bright eyes e io non gli ho creduto!


Sometimes those online translators work, Maya, but more often than not, they are waaaaaaay off!


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## london calling

Charles Costante said:


> *Eyes glistening (with tears)*.


Very nice!

Another option:

_She was looking very tearful_


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## MayaRomin

Yes, I realized that Google Translation is not 100% reliable!
Those 2 last suggestions - eyes glistening  and looking tearful are not related to bright eyes due to fever, correct? ( I assume the eyes are bright for tears in these cases). For my translation, I need a clear relation to fever, but they are indeed good options for "occhi lucidi" in case of tears.
Thanks again to all of you!


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## You little ripper!

MayaRomin said:


> Those 2 last suggestions - eyes glistening  and looking tearful are not related to bright eyes due to fever, correct?


That's correct, Maya. They are related to ortensia's question in Post # 1.


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## MayaRomin

Good, just to be sure not to mix things up! (it's 10 PM here and my brain is refusing to work properly...).
Thanks to you all!


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## Tegs

Just to pitch in at the end here, I would use _bright _more than _shiny _in a fever context. I feel like shiny is used in more positive contexts - 'her eyes _shone with happiness_' - versus 'his eyes were _bright with fever_. 

That might be just me though


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## Odysseus54

Magari anche 'glossy'.


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## You little ripper!

Odysseus54 said:


> Magari anche 'glossy'.


Ody, 'glossy' is generally used in a positive context. I would change one letter and turn it into 'glassy' .

eyes glassy with fever


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## luway

Charles Costante said:


> Ody, 'glossy' is generally used in a positive context. I would change one letter and turn it into 'glassy' .
> 
> eyes glassy with fever



In effetti direi che anche in italiano c'è chi potrebbe chiamarli occhi vitrei, quelli di una persona febbricitante (anche se il Treccani dice che sarebbe un aggettivo proprio per quelli di un morto...)


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## MayaRomin

Concordo, spesso sembrano vitrei gli occhi di chi ha la febbre (senza per forza dover raggiungere uno stadio di "non ritorno" ). Bene, un altro aggettivo per occhi febbricitanti! Grazie!


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## Tegs

I don't think I would use glassy in the context of fever - or glossy come to that. Glossy is an adjective I would use for paper and photos (as opposed to matt photos and paper) and also for hair. 

I suppose you could use 'glazed' but I don't think that corresponds exactly to lucidi...


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## You little ripper!

Tegs said:


> I don't think I would use glassy in the context of fever ......


A lot of people do, Tegs.

eyes glassy with fever
eyes were glassy with fever 



> Glossy is an adjective I would use for paper  and photos (as opposed to matt photos and paper) and also for hair.


............or for lipstick, the surface of a new car or computer screen, but not for feverish eyes.


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## Tegs

Charles Costante said:


> A lot of people do, Tegs.
> 
> eyes glassy with fever
> eyes were glassy with fever



Okey-doakey, I stand corrected


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## Odysseus54

Charles Costante said:


> Ody, 'glossy' is generally used in a positive context. I would change one letter and turn it into 'glassy' .
> 
> eyes glassy with fever



If you google "eyes were glossy", you'll find descriptions of drunks and stoned people.


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## You little ripper!

Odysseus54 said:


> If you google "eyes were glossy", you'll find descriptions of drunks and stoned people.


Maybe they are typos for 'glassy'.


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## Tegs

Googling 'eyes were glossy' I'm finding a lot of short stories written for internet. It makes me wonder whether these people simply misheard 'glassy' for 'glossy' at some point. You definitely find a lot more hits for 'eyes were glassy', and the sources are pediatric societies, dictionaries and newspapers, which I would rate as a bit more reliable


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## You little ripper!

Tegs said:


> Okey-doakey, I stand corrected


Just because you wouldn't use 'glassy' to describe feverish eyes and some people do doesn't mean they're right, Tegs. I think it has a lot to what you're used to hearing or reading, and we all have our preferences.


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## Tegs

Charles Costante said:


> Just because you wouldn't use 'glassy' to describe feverish eyes and some people do doesn't mean they're right, Tegs. I think it has a lot to what you're used to hearing or reading, and we all have our preferences.



True. I didn't mean to imply that I change my own English according to what other forum members say, but rather that I accepted it was an alternative other people might use  Don't worry - I fully intend to keep going the way I am. I've spoken English for years, and apart from some misunderstandings due to my accent, I've managed to survive


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## - Nello94 -

It should be : watery eyes ... correct me if I've made any mistakes ...


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## london calling

- Nello94 - said:


> watery eyes


Un alcolizzato oppure (delle volte)  una persona anziana può avere "watery eyes".  Acquosi....


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## - Nello94 -

Cosi stava scritto sul dizionario worderefence :O


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## Rachmaninoff

ortensia said:


> Hi there!
> Is there any particular English expression to say "avere gli occhi lucidi", when you are almost in tears but not yet?
> 
> Thank you.


A little late with this (after ten years, almost to the day!), but "a little teary" comes to mind.


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