目めを見み張はる

め

を

み

は

る

Meanings

1

expression, godan verb (-ru)

open one's eyes wide; be wide-eyed; be amazed

Used when someone's eyes widen in surprise, wonder, or admiration. Often implies being struck by something impressive or unexpected.

彼かの女じょの美うつくしさに目めを見み張はった。
I was wide-eyed at her beauty.
その景色けしきの素

す

晴ば

らし

さ

に

、

誰だれ

も

が

目め

を

見み

張は

っ

た

。

Everyone opened their eyes wide at the splendor of the scenery.

Written forms

目めを見み張はる
Standard kanji spelling for this expression.
目めを瞠みはる
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; 瞠 is not a jōyō kanji.

Kanji

目eye, class, look
見see, hopes, chances
張counter for bows & stringed instruments, stretch, spread
瞠stare intently

Similar words

目めを丸まるくする
Also means to open one's eyes wide in surprise, but 目を見張る emphasizes a more intense, fixed stare of amazement, while 目を丸くする suggests a round-eyed, innocent surprise.
驚おどろく
A general verb for 'to be surprised'; 目を見張る specifically describes the physical reaction of wide eyes accompanying strong surprise or admiration.

Etymology

Compound of 目 (eye) + を + 見張る (to open one's eyes wide, to stare). The verb 見張る itself combines 見る (to see) and 張る (to stretch, to tense), literally 'to stretch one's eyes'.