見み目め麗うるわしい

み

め

う

る

わ

し

い

Meanings

1

i-adjective

good-looking; beautiful; fair

Rare literary adjective describing a person's attractive appearance. Modern Japanese would more commonly use 美しい, きれい, or ハンサム.

古こ典てん文ぶん学がくには「見み目め麗うるわしい姫ひめ君ぎみ」といった表ひょう現げんが見みられる。
In classical literature, expressions like 'a beautiful princess' can be found.

Kanji

見see, hopes, chances
目eye, class, look
麗lovely, beautiful, graceful

Similar words

美うつくしい
Standard modern word for 'beautiful', used for people, scenery, and abstract things. 見目麗しい is a rare literary synonym limited to describing people.
きれい
Common everyday word for 'pretty' or 'clean'. 見目麗しい is much rarer and more formal.

Etymology

Compound of 見目 (みめ, 'appearance') and 麗しい (うるわしい, 'beautiful'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word is attested in classical Japanese.