godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb
be dazzled; be dizzied; be disoriented
Describes being visually or mentally overwhelmed by a strong stimulus, such as bright light, loud noise, or intense emotion, causing temporary loss of clear perception.
ヘッドライトの光に目がくらんだ。
My eyes were dazzled by the headlights.
あまりの衝撃に一瞬
I was momentarily disoriented by the shock.
godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb
be blinded by (greed, lust, etc.); lose oneself in
Metaphorical extension: being so consumed by a strong desire or emotion that one loses sound judgment. Often used in patterns like 欲にくらむ or 恋にくらむ.
金もうけの欲にくらんで、詐欺に手を出してしまった。
Blinded by greed for money, he ended up getting involved in fraud.
恋にくらんで周りが見えなくなる。
When you're blinded by love, you lose sight of everything around you.
godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb
become dark
Archaic sense meaning to become dark or dim. Not used in modern Japanese; preserved here for completeness.
古語では「くらむ」が単に暗くなる意味で使われた。
In classical Japanese, くらむ was used simply to mean 'become dark'.