1.
watching vigilantly for a chance; lying in wait
Watching closely and patiently for the right moment to pounce, the way a tiger eyes its prey. A four-character idiom, used adverbially with と.
虎視眈々と狙う。
to watch vigilantly for a chance.
ライバル社は市場参入の機会を虎視眈々とうかがっている。
Rival firms are watching vigilantly for a chance to enter the market.
彼は社長の座を虎視眈々と狙い、今は静かに力を蓄えている。
He is eyeing the president's seat like a tiger, quietly building up his strength for now.
A four-character idiom (四字熟語) literally meaning 'tiger-watching intently.' It pictures a tiger silently watching its prey, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Almost always used with と as an adverb.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 虎視眈々と狙う: to eye (a goal) vigilantly
- 虎視眈々とうかがう: to watch closely for an opportunity
NUANCE:
Often implies ambition or calculated, even predatory, intent — waiting to seize an opportunity at someone else's expense.