What Are Apple Juice Eyes?

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Inside a niche TikTok trend that’s taking over

Co-authored by Eric McClure

Last Updated: October 27, 2025 Fact Checked

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• What are apple juice eyes?
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• What's scary about them?
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• Causes
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• What to Do if You Have Them

|Show more |Show less

TikTok has a certain brilliance for finding extremely specific observations and turning them into viral memes. Apple juice eyes are yet another example of this. But what are apple juice eyes? And what’s so dastardly about the people who have them? We’ll answer all of your questions and more.

”Apple Juice Eyes” Meaning

“Apple juice eyes” describes people who have yellowed sclerae (the white parts of the eyes). Memes about apple juice eyes have popped up on TikTok, with users commenting on how intense or scary people with yellow eyes often look. Medically, yellowed eyes are known as scleral icterus, which is an early sign of jaundice.

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Section 1 of 4:

What are apple juice eyes?

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1. 
   “Apple juice eyes” refer to eyes with yellowed sclera. The sclera refers to the white part of the eyeball that surrounds the pupil and iris. “Apple juice eyes” is a jokey, Gen-Z-inspired way to describe eyes where the sclera has yellowed a bit. The slang term comes from the fact that yellowed eyes kind of have the same shade and color as apple juice.

   • The “apple juice eyes” meme focuses on older men who have yellowed eyes. These eyes are supposedly a sign of someone you don’t want to mess with.
   • Where does the term come from? We don’t actually know, but it’s possible that it’s a playful inversion of the phrase “apple of my eye.” On the other hand, it could really just be an organic connection between the shade of yellow and the drink.
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Section 2 of 4:

What’s so scary about apple juice eyes?

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1. 
   According to the meme, “apple juice eyes” are associated with older, intense guys. The jokes surrounding “apple juice eyes” focus mainly on how intense older guys with yellow eyes tend to be. The memes surrounding apple juice eyes imply that if you’ve got yellowed eyes, you’ve kind of seen some stuff...maybe you’re a veteran, or just a super hardcore person who's been around the block a few times. The point is, dudes with apple juice eyes tend to have a lot of intense energy. Some of our favorite memes surrounding apple juice eyes include:

   • @jacob_wholetime’s video on TikTok where someone encounters apple juice eyes in the grocery store line.
   • @girlsthatsmarcus’s video that combines the “black air forces” meme and apple juice eyes to imply something really scary is about to happen.
   • @wopfrmda6o’s video where he struggles to explain why they’re spooky.
   • Who started the meme? We don’t know for sure, but it seems like the niche memes about apple juice eyes got a big boost when former NFL superstar Randy Moss was spotted with yellow eyes. People were making a bunch of jokes about this before it was revealed he was battling health issues.

Section 3 of 4:

What causes apple juice eyes

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1. 
   Yellow eyes, aka scleral icterus, are often an early sign of jaundice. The condition where the whites of your eyes turn yellow is officially known as scleral icterus, and it’s associated with jaundice—a sign of liver or digestive issues that cause your skin to turn a shade of yellow.

   • What is jaundice? Jaundice is a symptom associated with certain medical conditions. It’s when your skin turns yellow because your liver can no longer process bilirubin, a yellow substance created by dead red blood cells. If your liver can’t filter the bilirubin out, it builds up in your skin—giving it the distinct yellow appearance.
   • Conditions that cause scleral icterus include:
     • Liver failure
     • Heart failure
     • Hyperthyroidism
     • Hepatitis A, B, and C
     • Gallstones
     • Genetic diseases
     • Bacterial infection
     • Sepsis
     • Medication side effects
     • Cancer
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Section 4 of 4:

What to Do if You Have Apple Juice Eyes

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1. 
   See a doctor if you or a loved one have yellow eyes. Many of the conditions that cause scleral icterus are treatable, but they’re all issues that require medical attention. If you notice that the color of your sclera has changed for any reason, see a doctor immediately.

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