How to Write 眈 (dān) — Meaning “to glare; to gaze intently”

Imagine a tiger (虎) with huge eyes (目) staring at its prey — this image matches the idiom 虎视眈眈. The right side 冘 looks like a person (亻) with a big eye (目) looking fiercely, so think 'big eye, fierce glare'.

The left radical 目 should be narrow and tall, taking up about one-third of the character width. The right part 冘 has a dot on top (like 冘, not 尤), and the final stroke is a hook — be careful not to confuse it with 尤 (yóu).

盯 (dīng) means to stare fixedly at one point in a normal way, while 眈 (dān) implies a more aggressive or covetous glare, like a predator. 盱 (xū) means to look up with wide eyes, often in surprise, whereas 眈 is a steady, intent gaze. The visual difference is the right side: 冘 for 眈, 丁 for 盯, and 于 for 盱.

眈 rarely appears alone; it is almost exclusively used in the four-character idiom 虎视眈眈 (hǔ shì dān dān), meaning 'to glare like a tiger' — describing someone waiting for a chance to attack. This idiom is often used in news or literature to describe aggressive ambition or a threatening watch.

Common words containing 眈 include: 虎视眈眈 (hǔ shì dān dān) — To eye covetously; to glare like a tiger.; 眈眈 (dān dān) — glaring; staring intently; 眈视 (dān shì) — to glare at; to gaze intently.