How to Write 眄 (miǎn) — Meaning “to look askance; to ogle”

Picture an eye (目) looking at a person who is turning away — the right side 丏 looks like a figure with a tilted head and one arm raised. This visual of a sideways glance helps you recall that 眄 means 'to look askance'.

Write the left radical 目 with five strokes, keeping it narrow. The right part 丏 begins with a short horizontal, then a vertical, then a longer horizontal, and finishes with a vertical hook — do not make the hook too straight. A common mistake is writing the right side too tall or uneven with the left.

盯 (dīng) means to stare fixedly at one spot, while 盱 (xū) means to open eyes wide or look upward. In contrast, 眄 specifically refers to a sideways or sidelong glance, often with a hint of pride or flirtation. Visually, each has a different right part: 丁, 于, and 丏.

眄 is rarely used in everyday speech and appears mostly in classical literature, poetry, or formal idioms like 顾眄 (to glance around). It carries a literary or refined tone, so you might encounter it in historical texts or elegant descriptions of a person's gaze.

Common words containing 眄 include: 眄视 (miǎn shì) — to look askance; to look sideways; 顾眄 (gù miǎn) — To look around / To glance; 眄眄 (miǎn miǎn) — looking sideways; staring.