squint
squint
Definition
squint (skwint)
intransitive verb
- to look or peer with the eyes partly closed, as when the light is too strong
- to look with the eyes turned to the side; look obliquely or askance
- to be cross-eyed
- to incline or have a tendency (toward a given direction, belief, etc.)
- to deviate from a given line, tendency, etc.
Etymology: aphetic for asquint
transitive verb
- to cause to squint
- to keep (the eyes) partly closed in peering at something
noun
- the act of squinting
- an inclination or tendency
- an oblique or perverse tendency or bent
- the condition of being cross-eyed; strabismus
- Informal a look or glance, often sidelong or casual
adjective
- squinting; looking askance or sidelong
- characterized by strabismus squint eyes
squint′er noun
squint′·ingly adverb
squint′y adjective
squint
Synonyms
squint
v.
squint
Usage Examples
Object
- eye: His squinted eyes forced liquid pain across his cheeks.
- bit: In among this sea of male engineers, there are, if you squint a bit, a few girls.
- surgery: Three patients required squint surgery after their disease reactivated.
Preposition: at
- screen: I squinted back at the screen searching for the little spinning " loading " logo in the top right corner [ 3 ] .
- ether: Squinting at the viewless ether through his monocle he beheld millions in it; so did William Augustus Destyn and the other sons-in-law.
Preposition: into
- sun: As the judges squinted into the late afternoon sun, the 6 man final started.
- sunlight: And a young man came out of the front door, and squinted into the sunlight.
Adjective complement
- hard: Now, it is possible, if one squints very hard, to imagine a world without the luxury of cheap air travel.
Modifying Another Word
- slightly: Both look in the same direction, squinting slightly in the sunlight.
- still: Back in the truck, Des was still squinting at the map.
- not: Also remember to position yourself so that the student is not squinting into the sun rather than listening to your pearls of wisdom.
Followed by an intransitive particle
- up: He squinted up at me, then spoke in a high, quavering voice.
Followed by a transitive particle
- down: Squinting down the dark tunnel I could see a snake, or maybe two, coiled inside.
Used with why or when
- when: The v3 has a good sized screen too, so your not squinting when navigating the menu.
Infinitive complement
- read: Individuals will soon tire of having to lean in or squint to read small text.
- see: Once you find the photos you're looking for, you don't have to squint to see your results.
Preposition: in
- light: At the end I stumble out, my eyes squinting in the bright light of day, to touch reality again.
- eye: Our son Oliver, now aged 10 months, was born with what initially appeared to be an extremely divergent squint in both eyes.
- sunlight: Both look in the same direction, squinting slightly in the sunlight.
- sun: He squints in the sun, his freckles bursting out in the summer heat.
Browse dictionary entries near squint
- squinch
- squilla
- squill
- squilgee
- squiggle
- squiffy
- squid
- squib
- squeteague
- squelch circuit
- squint-eyed
- squinteyed
- squinting
- squire
- squirearchy
- squireen
- squirm
- squirrel
- squirrel cage
- squirrel corn
