Apple of my eye is a well-known English idiom used to express deep love and affection. It usually refers to a person—most often a child or a close family member—who is loved and cherished more than anyone else.
Apple of My Eye
Meaning of “Apple of My Eye”
Apple of my eye means a person who is greatly loved, treasured, and valued above all others. In modern English, this idiom is most commonly used to describe the strong, unconditional affection an older family member feels toward a child or grandchild.
If someone is the apple of your eye, that person holds a very special place in your heart and is deeply important to you.
This expression is especially common in family contexts, such as relationships between parents and children or grandparents and grandchildren.
For example:
- His youngest daughter is the apple of his eye.
- After his wife passed away, his granddaughter became the apple of his eye.
- Erika is Mark’s only granddaughter, and she’s the apple of his eye.
- Sarah’s only son has always been the apple of her eye.
- John was his first child and quickly became the apple of his eye.
- Susan loves all five of her sons, but her youngest is the apple of her eye.
“Apple of My Eye” – Similar Expressions
- Cherish
- Treasure
- Hold dear
- Light of my life
- Beloved
- Favorite person
Common Idioms About Fruits
- Peaches and cream: A situation with no trouble or problems
- Cool as a cucumber: Calm even in difficult or stressful situations
- A plum job: An easy, pleasant job that pays well
- As red as a cherry: Very red
- A bite at the cherry: An opportunity to achieve something
- Go bananas: To become very excited or angry
- The cherry on the cake: The final thing that makes something perfect
- Second banana: The second most important person in a group
- Go pear-shaped: To fail or go wrong
- Bad apple: A person who causes trouble for others
- A bowl of cherries: A life that is easy and pleasant
- Banana republic: A politically unstable or corrupt country
Useful Eye Idioms in English
- Believe one’s eyes: To believe what one sees
- Catch someone’s eye: To attract someone’s attention
- Close one’s eyes to something: To ignore something intentionally
- Eagle eye: Very sharp and careful observation
- Evil eye: The belief that a look can cause harm
- Eyes bigger than one’s stomach: Taking more food than one can eat
- Get a black eye: To be bruised near the eye or suffer damage to one’s reputation
- Have a good eye for something: To judge something accurately
- Keep an eye on someone or something: To watch carefully
- Make eyes at someone: To try to attract someone romantically
- Pull the wool over someone’s eyes: To deceive or trick someone
- In your mind’s eye: In your imagination
- Turn a blind eye: To ignore something deliberately
- See eye to eye: To agree
Last Updated on January 29, 2026
