How to Write 瞪 (dèng) — Meaning “to stare; to glare”

Imagine a person with huge eyes (目) climbing up stairs (登) — when someone climbs high, they often stare intensely. The visual of "eyes climbing" can help you link the shape and meaning of 瞪 to a strong stare.

The right part 登 has 12 strokes; be careful not to simplify the top as "癶" (two top strokes + 豆). Also, the left 目 should be narrow, not square, to leave room for the right side. A common mistake is making the 目 too wide, which throws off the balance.

Unlike 瞈 (which is archaic and rarely used today) and 瞋 (which means "to glare angrily" but is less common), 瞪 is the standard modern character for a wide-eyed stare or glare. Visually, 瞪 uses the phonetic 登, while 瞋 contains 真, and 瞈 contains 翁 — their forms help distinguish them.

瞪 is common in everyday speech and writing, especially in phrases like 瞪眼 (glare with anger) and 目瞪口呆 (dumbfounded, literally "eyes wide, mouth open"). It carries a strong emotional tone, often describing surprise, anger, or intense focus in stories and conversations.

Common words containing 瞪 include: 瞪眼 (dèng yǎn) — to stare; to glare with anger; 目瞪口呆 (mù dèng kǒu dāi) — stunned / dumbfounded; 瞪着 (dèng zhe) — staring at; glaring at.