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眇める (すがめる) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

眇すがめる

す

が

め

る

Meanings

1

ichidan verb, transitive verb

squint (one eye); narrow (one's eyes)

Used specifically for deliberately narrowing or squinting one eye, often to see better or as a gesture. The object is typically 目 (eye).

彼かれは遠とおくを見みようと片かた目めをすがめた。
He squinted one eye to try to see far away.
眩まぶしくて、思おもわ

ず

目め

を

すがめ

た

。

It was so bright that I instinctively narrowed my eyes.

Written forms

眇すがめるUsage28%
Rare kanji spelling; the verb is almost always written in kana.
すがめるUsage72%
Standard kana spelling for this verb.

Kanji

眇minuteness, squint

Similar words

細ほそめる
細める means to make something physically thinner or narrower, and can also be used for narrowing eyes, but すがめる specifically refers to squinting or narrowing one eye (often one eye at a time) with a deliberate or strained expression.
眇すがめ
眇 (すがめ) is the noun form meaning squint or strabismus, while 眇める is the transitive verb meaning to squint.

Etymology

The verb すがめる is likely derived from the noun すがめ (squint, strabismus), but the exact origin is uncertain. The kanji 眇 is a rare character meaning 'to squint' or 'tiny'.