About
The character "眯" is etymologically and structurally composed of the eye radical "目" combined with the phonetic component "米" (mǐ, rice), which primarily suggests its pronunciation. Its core meaning has long been associated with the physical action of the eyes, originally describing the narrowing or squinting of one's eyes, often due to bright light, a smile, or an attempt to see something more clearly. Over time, this narrow visual focus evolved to encompass related metaphorical uses, such as taking a short nap or "closing one's eyes lightly", extending the concept from an external visual adjustment to an internal state of rest. The traditional form of the character, "瞇", maintains the same fundamental composition, reinforcing its enduring connection to ocular action while its semantic range broadened from literal squinting to include these more abstract, related notions.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
她笑眯眯地点头。
他眯着眼睛看太阳。
猫在沙发上眯了一会儿。
我眯起眼睛仔细看那张照片。
阳光刺眼，他不得不眯着双眼。
他总是笑眯眯的，让人感到亲切。
眯了一会儿后，我感觉精神好多了。
为了避免强光伤害眼睛，他眯起了眼皮。