reverse side; back
Literal meaning: the reverse or back side of something. Less common than the idiomatic sense.
カードの裏目には何も書かれていなかった。
Nothing was written on the back of the card.
His kindness ended up backfiring.
opposite of the expected; backfire
Almost always used in the phrase 裏目に出る, meaning a plan or action produces the opposite result from what was intended.
See also: 裏目に出る
彼の親切が裏目に出て、相手を怒らせてしまった。
His kindness backfired and ended up making the other person angry.
値下げ戦略が裏目に出て、かえって売り上げが落ちた。
The price-cut strategy backfired, and sales actually dropped.
purl stitch
Knitting term; the reverse side of a knitted fabric, or the purl stitch itself.
このセーターは裏目が表に出ているデザインだ。
This sweater has a design where the purl side is on the outside.
You knit purl stitches to create the pattern.
裏 is the general word for the 'back/reverse side' of anything, while 裏目 is a narrower term often tied to specific contexts like knitting or the idiom 裏目に出る.
表 means the front or obverse side, the direct opposite of 裏目's literal sense of the back or reverse side.
In knitting, 表目 (knit stitch) is the opposite of 裏目 (purl stitch).
make a mistake in mahjong; mess up a meld choice
Compound of 裏 (ura, 'back, reverse') and 目 (me, 'eye, stitch, grain'). The knitting sense comes from the appearance of the purl stitch as the reverse side of the fabric.