The term come-hither look first appeared around the turn of the twentieth century. We will examine the meaning of the phrase come-hither look, where it came from and some examples of its use in sentences.
A come-hither look is a one that is sexually inviting, a glance that is flirtatious or seductive. The term come-hither look first appeared around 1895 in newspapers as a way to express a woman’s sexual designs in a euphemistic manner. Hither is a word that means this place, the place where I am. It is derived from the Old English word hider and rarely used today except in a poetic sense. Paired with the word come, it is clear that this phrase is an invitation to join the person who is projecting the facial expression. Note that come-hither look is a noun phrase, and that come-hither is an adjective placed before a noun and is therefore hyphenated. Today, the term come-hither look is usually used in a playful manner or in situations where one is trying to sound old-fashioned.
Examples
All this and the mischievous come-hither look on its face make the 2017 Audi TTS a stunner, a stand-out in a sea of similar-looking vehicles of all makes. (The Chronicle Herald)
Peeking out from underneath a jaunty red hat, the American model gave her best come-hither look to the camera while clad in the dazzling lingerie. (The Sun)
Perhaps it’s the way he casually flings his giant beach bag over his shoulder while giving a come-hither look to the camera? (The Sydney Morning Herald)
A normal customer service interaction turned into a Craigslist missed connection where the man claimed I gave him “a smoky-eyed, come-hither look.” (The Huffington Post)