Related words 鋭するど い 鋭い is a common i-adjective for 'sharp' (eyes, gaze, mind), while 炯々 is a literary, emphatic description of glaring or penetrating eyes.
眼がん 光こう 炯けい 々けい A set phrase meaning 'with piercing eyes'; 炯々 often appears in this compound, reinforcing its literary and intense nuance.
Written forms 炯けい 々けい Usage 94%
Standard kanji form for this literary expression.
烱けい 々けい Usage 6%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; 烱 is a variant of 炯 .
炯けい 炯けい
Variant using the non-repetition kanji 炯 ; less common but still encountered.
烱けい 烱けい
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; 烱 is a variant of 炯 .
Etymology The exact derivation is uncertain; the kanji 炯 and 烱 both carry the meaning 'bright, shining', and the reduplicated form emphasizes intensity. The word is used in classical and literary Japanese to describe a sharp, glaring light, especially of the eyes.
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