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瞠目 (どうもく) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

瞠どう目もく

ど

う

も

く

Meanings

1

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb

gaze in wonder; stare in amazement

Literary word for staring wide-eyed in astonishment or admiration. Often used in the pattern 瞠目する or 瞠目して見る.

その美うつくしい景色けしきに、彼かれはしばし瞠どう目もくした。
He gazed in wonder at the beautiful scenery for a while.
観かん客きゃくはその妙みょう技ぎに瞠どう目もくして見

み

入い

っ

た

。

The audience stared in amazement at the exquisite skill.

Written forms

瞠どう目もくUsage98%
Standard kanji form; the kanji 瞠 is not a jōyō kanji but is used in this compound.
どうもくUsage2%

Kanji

瞠stare intently
目eye, class, look

Similar words

驚きょう嘆たん
驚嘆 is a more common word for 'wonder' or 'admiration', while 瞠目 is a literary term specifically for the act of staring in wonder.
目めを見み張はる
目を見張る is a common expression meaning 'to open one's eyes wide (in surprise)', similar to 瞠目 but used in everyday language.

Etymology

Compound of 瞠 (どう, 'to stare') and 目 (もく, 'eye'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word is used in literary Japanese to express wide-eyed gazing.