目め白じろ押おし

め

じ

ろ

お

し

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

jostling; crowding; being packed together

Describes a physical crowd of people or things pushing and milling about in a confined space. Often used for busy places or events.

会かい場じょうの入いり口ぐちは人ひとで目め白じろ押おしだった。
The entrance to the venue was jammed with people.

noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

packed with; full of; chock-full of

Figurative use: a schedule, list, or lineup is crammed with events, products, or items. Commonly used in news and advertising.

今こん週しゅう末まつはイベントが目め白じろ押おしだ。
This weekend is packed with events.

Usage patterns

〈事こと〉が目め白じろ押おしだto be packed/crammed with events or items
今こん週しゅうは会かい議ぎが目め白じろ押おしで忙いそがしい。
This week is packed with meetings, so I'm busy.
〈人ひと〉が目め白じろ押おしになるfor people to end up jostling/packed together
会かい場じょうには見けん物ぶつ人にんが目め白じろ押おしになった。
Spectators ended up packed shoulder to shoulder at the venue.
〈物もの〉が目め白じろ押おしで並ならぶfor items to be lined up tightly packed together
店てんには新しん商しょう品ひんが目め白じろ押おしで並ならんでいる。
New products are lined up packed tightly in the store.

Kanji

目eye, class, look
白white
押push, stop, check

Related words

満まん員いんN3sense 1
満員 means a fixed-capacity place like a train or theater is full with no room left, while 目白押し emphasizes the jostling crowdedness itself or a schedule crammed with items.
混こん雑ざつN3sense 1
混雑 is the neutral, common word for congestion or crowding in a place, while 目白押し more vividly evokes people or things packed tightly and jostling.
てんこ盛もり sense 2
てんこ盛り is a casual word for something piled high, often food, whereas 目白押し is neutral in register and typically describes a packed crowd or busy schedule.
山やま積づみN1sense 2
山積み describes tasks or problems piling up, close to the figurative sense of 目白押し, but 目白押し can also describe literal crowding of people while 山積み cannot.
オンパレード
目白押し describes many things or events crowded together in close succession, while オンパレード emphasizes a showy, eye-catching display or series.

Don't confuse with

メジロ
目白 is the small bird (Japanese white-eye) whose habit of huddling shoulder-to-shoulder on a branch gave rise to the expression 目白押し, but 目白 itself just names the bird.

Built from

メジロ+押おす

Written forms

目め白じろ押おしUsage90%
Standard kanji spelling; high-frequency news term.
めじろ押おしUsage10%
Mixed kana-kanji variant; less common but still seen.
めじろおしUsage1%

Etymology

Literally 'white-eye pushing', from the image of Japanese white-eyes (mejiro) jostling together on a branch. The exact origin is uncertain, but the phrase vividly conveys a crowded, bustling scene.