眢 (yuān) - eyeless & having sunken or hollow eyes

眢Tone 1

yuān ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

喻悦

眢 · yuān

eyeless;

having sunken or hollow eyes;

dried-up well

eyelesshaving sunken or hollow eyesdried-up well

Usage highlights

sunken eyesdriedhollowdry springblind wellempty eye sockets

Synonyms

  • 盲— blind
  • 瞎— sightless
  • 枯— withered, dried up

Antonyms

  • 明— bright, clear-sighted
  • 润— moist, well-watered

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • His eyes were sunken and hollow (眢眢).
  • The old well had dried up completely (眢井).
  • She stared with vacant eyes (眢目).
  • The desert well was bone dry (眢泉).

Collocations

  • sunken eyes(眢目)
  • dried-up well(眢井)
  • hollow-eyed(眢眢)
  • dry spring(眢泉)
  • blind well(眢窅)
  • empty eye sockets(眢眶)

Idioms

  • A dried-up well and withered trees(眢井枯株)
  • Hollow eyes and sunken cheeks(眢目陷颊)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In classical Chinese literature, 眢 often describes physical deterioration or desolation
  • The character combines 'eye' (目) and 'criminals/sufferers' (夗), suggesting afflicted eyes
  • Used metaphorically to describe both physical emptiness (wells) and spiritual emptiness (eyes)

FAQ