noun
downcast look; lowered eyes
Describes a facial expression where one looks downward, often due to shyness, embarrassment, sadness, or deference.
彼女は伏し目がちに話し始めた。
She started speaking with her eyes mostly downcast.
叱られた子供は伏し目で立っていた。
The scolded child stood with lowered eyes.
うつむく is a verb meaning to hang one's head or look down, often implying a more sustained posture, while 伏し目 focuses on the direction of the gaze itself.
Compound of 伏し (continuative form of 伏す, 'to bend down, lower') + 目 ('eye'). The spelling 伏目 is a variant without okurigana.