眩まぶしい

ま

ぶ

し

い

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

i-adjective

Describes light that is so strong it is hard to look at directly; also used figuratively for someone's beauty, talent, or success that is overwhelmingly impressive.

夏なつの太たい陽ようが眩まぶしくて、目めを開あけていられない。
The summer sun is so dazzling I can't keep my eyes open.
彼かの女じょの笑え顔がおは眩まぶしいほど美うつくしかった。
Her smile was so radiant it was almost blinding.

Written forms

眩しいUsage45%
- まぶしい
  Standard kanji spelling; the kanji 眩 is not a Jōyō kanji but is widely used for this word.
- まぼしい
まぶしいUsage55%
Common kana spelling, especially in informal writing or when the kanji is considered difficult.
まぼしい

Kanji

眩faint, dizzy

Similar words

輝かがやかしい
輝かしい also means 'brilliant' or 'glorious', but is used more for abstract achievements or futures, while 眩しい focuses on visual brightness or overwhelming personal qualities.
明あかるい
明るい means 'bright' in a general sense (well-lit, cheerful), without the nuance of being painfully or impressively bright.

Etymology

Derived from the verb 眩む (くらむ, 'to be dazzled') with the adjectival suffix しい. The kanji 眩 is used for both.