目めにも留とまらぬ

め

に

も

と

ま

ら

ぬ

Meanings

1

expression, noun-modifying (irregular)

extremely fast; in a flash; too quick for the eye to catch

idiomatic expression

Idiomatic expression used prenominally to describe something that happens so quickly it cannot be seen. Often used in literary or dramatic contexts.

彼かれの動うごきは目めにも留とまらぬ速はやさだった。
His movements were so fast they were invisible to the eye.

目めにも留とまらぬ早はや業わざで料りょう理りを仕し上あげた。

He finished cooking with lightning speed.

Written forms

目めにも留とまらぬ
Standard kanji spelling using 留.
目めにも止とまらぬ
Variant using 止; both 留 and 止 are used.
目めにもとまらぬ
Kana spelling of the verb part; common in casual writing.

Kanji

目eye, class, look
止stop, halt
留detain, fasten, halt

Similar words

あっという間ま
あっという間 means 'in the blink of an eye' and focuses on the shortness of time, while 目にも留まらぬ emphasizes the speed of an action itself.
電でん光こう石せっ火か
電光石火 is a four-character compound meaning 'lightning speed', often used as a noun or adverb, whereas 目にも留まらぬ is a prenominal phrase.

Etymology

Literally 'does not stop in the eye', from 目 (eye) + に + も + 留まる (to stop, to be caught). The negative form 留まらぬ (classical ぬ for negation) modifies a noun to mean 'so fast it cannot be caught by the eye'.