sight for sore eyes, a

sight for sore eyes, a idiom
One whom it is a relief or joy to see, as in Linda, who had not seen him in 15 years, told him he was a sight for sore eyes. This idiom implies an appearance so welcome that it heals ailing eyes. [First half of 1700s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.