squint
verb · noun · adjective
Simple meaning
To look with the eyes partly closed.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
skwintIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈskwɪnt
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
intransitive
To look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight, or as a threatening expression.
intransitive
To look or glance sideways.
intransitive
To look with, or have eyes that are turned in different directions; to suffer from strabismus.
intransitivefigurative
To have an indirect bearing, reference, or implication; to have an allusion to, or inclination towards, something.
transitive
To turn to an oblique position; to direct obliquely.
noun
An expression in which the eyes are partly closed.
The look of eyes which are turned in different directions, as in strabismus.
A quick or sideways glance.
informal
A short look; a peep.
A hagioscope.
adjective
Looking obliquely; having the vision distorted.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C2 · Proficient (estimated)
- Frequency
- Rare
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: To look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight, or as a threatening expression.
Used this way, squint is a reasonably familiar word with a clearly unfavourable pull. It comes across as direct, sometimes bluntly so.
- Emotional tone
- Negative
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Gentle
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Serious and weighty
- Usage feel
- Blunt and forceful
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use squint
- “The driver squinted as the sun hit his windshield.”verb
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A person with strabismus.
Affected by strabismus.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.