0 an area of skin around the eye that has gone dark because it has been hit: --
1 something that damages someone's or something's reputation; a bad reputation: --
Inaccurate hurricane predictions gave forecasters a black eye.
He described recent incidents of sexual harassment as "a black eye for the university."
The problem is something of a black eye for what has been the biotechnology industry's most successful product.
2 dark colored skin around the eye from being injured or hit: --
fig. The controversy gave him a political black eye.
He and the deputy had a row, using pit language, which is fairly clean, and the deputy struck the lad in the face, giving him a black eye.
If it was not successful we probably got kicked out, and if the fellow taking the money was bigger than us we probably got a black eye.
I ought to say that now in case there is a reference to my black eye.
Not content with giving the motorist a black eye, they want to give him a thick ear as well.
I certainly remember hearing him saying that the real danger is that as producers we should give ourselves a black eye as consumers.
It is not a happy experience, from which one is lucky to emerge with only a black eye.
He emerged from the meeting with a black eye and a fractured jaw.
A policeman got a black eye, a damaged ear and other slight injuries.
