くらむ

godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb

be dazzled; be dizzied; be disoriented

Describes being visually or mentally overwhelmed by a strong stimulus, such as bright light, loud noise, or intense emotion, causing temporary loss of clear perception.

• ヘッドライトの光ひかりに目めがくらんだ。

  My eyes were dazzled by the headlights.

• あまりの衝しょう撃げきに一いっ瞬しゅん意い識しきがくらんだ。

  I was momentarily disoriented by the shock.

godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb

be blinded by (greed, lust, etc.); lose oneself in

Metaphorical extension: being so consumed by a strong desire or emotion that one loses sound judgment. Often used in patterns like 欲にくらむ or 恋にくらむ.

• 金かねもうけの欲よくにくらんで、詐さ欺ぎに手てを出だしてしまった。

  Blinded by greed for money, he ended up getting involved in fraud.

• 恋こいにくらんで周まわりが見みえなくなる。

  When you're blinded by love, you lose sight of everything around you.

godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb

become dark

Archaic sense meaning to become dark or dim. Not used in modern Japanese; preserved here for completeness.

• 古こ語ごでは「くらむ」が単たんに暗くらくなる意い味みで使つかわれた。

  In classical Japanese, くらむ was used simply to mean 'become dark'.