1.
look in one's eyes; gaze; the way someone's eyes appear
Refers to the quality or impression conveyed by someone's eyes — whether kind, sharp, suspicious, or angry. Often used to describe how a person's eyes make others feel.
鋭い目つきの男。
A man with a sharp gaze.
彼女は優しい目つきで子どもを見た。
She looked at the child with gentle eyes.
あの人の目つきが怖くて、話しかけられなかった。
That person's gaze was so scary that I couldn't bring myself to talk to them.
Composed of 目 (eye) + つき (manner, way of appearing). Describes the overall impression created by someone's eyes. Often carries a subjective nuance — the same person's eyes may be described differently depending on the observer's impression.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 鋭い目つき: a sharp, piercing gaze
- 優しい目つき: a gentle look in the eyes
- 怖い目つき: a scary/intimidating look
- 目つきが悪い: to have a menacing look in one's eyes
- 目つきが変わる: one's expression changes (in the eyes)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 眼差し: gaze — more literary and often implies emotional depth or warmth
- 視線: line of sight — more neutral; focuses on where someone is looking, not the quality of the eyes
- 顔つき: facial expression — the broader equivalent covering the whole face