Standard Lemma guide

squint

adj · noun · verb · 21 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /skwɪnt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɪnt
  • CMU ARPABET: S K W IH1 N T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Looking obliquely; having the vision distorted.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

askew, not level

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Scotland

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An expression in which the eyes are partly closed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The look of eyes which are turned in different directions, as in strabismus.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He looks handsome although he's got a slight squint.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A quick or sideways glance; a short look; a peep.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A hagioscope.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

The angle by which the transmission signal is offset from the normal of a phased array antenna.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: radio transmission

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

An opening, often arched, through an internal wall of a church, providing an oblique view of the altar.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: architecture

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight, or as a threatening expression.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • The children squinted to frighten each other.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

To look or glance sideways.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: skew

Antonyms: none provided

11

verb

Meaning 11

To look with, or have eyes that are turned in different directions; to suffer from strabismus.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

verb

Meaning 12

To have an indirect bearing, reference, or implication; to have an allusion to, or inclination towards, something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

verb

Meaning 13

To be not quite straight, off-centred; to deviate from a true line; to run obliquely.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Scotland, intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

14

verb

Meaning 14

To turn to an oblique position; to direct obliquely.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • to squint an eye

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

15

verb

Meaning 15

Look askance.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Congress clearly is squinting at the prospect of increased funding for the program.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

16

adjective satellite

Meaning 16

(used especially of glances) directed to one side with or as if with doubt or suspicion or envy- Elizabeth Bowen

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • her eyes with their misted askance look
  • sidelong glances

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: askance, askant, asquint, squint-eyed, squinty, sidelong

Antonyms: none provided

17

noun

Meaning 17

the act of squinting; looking with the eyes partly closed

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: look, looking, looking at

18

noun

Meaning 18

abnormal alignment of one or both eyes

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: strabismus

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: abnormality, abnormalcy

Narrower terms: cross-eye, crossed eye, convergent strabismus, esotropia, walleye, divergent strabismus, exotropia

19

verb

Meaning 19

cross one's eyes as if in strabismus

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The children squinted so as to scare each other

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: squinch

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: grimace, make a face, pull a face

20

verb

Meaning 20

partly close one's eyes, as when hit by direct blinding light

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The driver squinted as the sun hit his windshield

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: look

21

verb

Meaning 21

be cross-eyed; have a squint or strabismus

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: look

History

Etymology

Derived from asquint (“obliquely, with a sidelong glance”).

Across languages

Translations

138 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Dutch: gluren — expression in which the eyes are partly closed
  • Finnish: silmät sirrissä — expression in which the eyes are partly closed
  • French: plissement des yeux — expression in which the eyes are partly closed
  • German: Schielen — expression in which the eyes are partly closed
  • Hungarian: hunyorítás — expression in which the eyes are partly closed
  • Hungarian: hunyorgás — expression in which the eyes are partly closed
  • Polish: zmrużenie — expression in which the eyes are partly closed
  • Polish: mrużenie — expression in which the eyes are partly closed
  • Russian: при́щур (príščur) — expression in which the eyes are partly closed
  • Bulgarian: кривогледство (krivogledstvo) — look of eyes which are turned in different directions, like in strabismus
  • Chinese Mandarin: 斜視 /斜视 (xiéshì) — look of eyes which are turned in different directions, like in strabismus
  • Dutch: scheelkijken — look of eyes which are turned in different directions, like in strabismus
  • Finnish: karsastus — look of eyes which are turned in different directions, like in strabismus
  • French: strabisme — look of eyes which are turned in different directions, like in strabismus
  • German: Strabismus — look of eyes which are turned in different directions, like in strabismus
  • German: Schielen — look of eyes which are turned in different directions, like in strabismus
  • Hungarian: bandzsítás — look of eyes which are turned in different directions, like in strabismus
  • Hungarian: kancsalság — look of eyes which are turned in different directions, like in strabismus
  • Irish: fiarshúil — look of eyes which are turned in different directions, like in strabismus
  • Japanese: 斜視 (shashi) — look of eyes which are turned in different directions, like in strabismus
  • Japanese: 藪睨み (yabunirami) — look of eyes which are turned in different directions, like in strabismus
  • Malayalam: കോങ്കണ്ണ് (kōṅkaṇṇŭ) — look of eyes which are turned in different directions, like in strabismus
  • Polish: zez — look of eyes which are turned in different directions, like in strabismus
  • Portuguese: vesguice — look of eyes which are turned in different directions, like in strabismus
  • Portuguese: estrabismo — look of eyes which are turned in different directions, like in strabismus
  • Russian: косогла́зие (kosoglázije) — look of eyes which are turned in different directions, like in strabismus
  • Spanish: estrabismo — look of eyes which are turned in different directions, like in strabismus
  • Turkish: şaşılık — look of eyes which are turned in different directions, like in strabismus
  • Ottoman Turkish: شاشیلق (şaşılık) — look of eyes which are turned in different directions, like in strabismus
  • Bulgarian: бегъл поглед (begǎl pogled) — quick or sideways glance
  • Finnish: vilkaisu — quick or sideways glance
  • French: coup d'oeil — quick or sideways glance
  • Hungarian: sandítás — quick or sideways glance
  • Japanese: 一瞥 (ichibetsu) — quick or sideways glance
  • Occitan: ulhada — quick or sideways glance
  • Portuguese: olhar de soslaio — quick or sideways glance
  • Russian: косо́й взгля́д (kosój vzgljád) — quick or sideways glance
  • Armenian: կկոցել (kkocʻel) — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Azerbaijani: qıymaq — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Bulgarian: присвивам очи (prisvivam oči) — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Chinese Mandarin: 眯 (mī) — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Chinese Mandarin: 眯縫 (mīfeng) — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Chinese Mandarin: 乜斜 (miēxie) — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Czech: mhouřit — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Czech: mžourat — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Finnish: siristää — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Finnish: siristellä — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • French: plisser les yeux — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • German: blinzeln — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • German: die Augen zusammenkneifen — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Ancient Greek: στραβίζω (strabízō) — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Hungarian: hunyorít — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Hungarian: hunyorog — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Italian: socchiudere gli occhi — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Japanese: 目を細めて見る (me-o hosomete miru) — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Kyrgyz: жумуу (jumuu) — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Māori: keko — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Māori: keo — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Māori: kōnewhanewha — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Norman: r'garder gare — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Norman: vaie d'travèrs — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Norwegian Bokmål: myse — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Norwegian Bokmål: plire — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Norwegian Bokmål: glire — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: myse — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: plire — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: glire — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Polish: mrużyć oczy — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Portuguese: semicerrar os olhos — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Romanian: chiorî — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Russian: щу́риться (ščúritʹsja) — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Russian: прищу́риться (priščúritʹsja) — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Russian: жму́риться (žmúritʹsja) — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Serbo-Croatian: жми̏ркати — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Serbo-Croatian: шки́љити — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Serbo-Croatian: žmȉrkati — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Serbo-Croatian: škíljiti — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Southern Altai: јумар (ǰumar) — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Spanish: entornar los ojos — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Spanish: entrecerrar los ojos — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Swedish: kisa — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Ukrainian: мружити (mružyty) — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Ukrainian: жмурити (žmuryty) — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Vietnamese: nheo — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Yiddish: זשמורען (zhmuren) — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Yiddish: מרוזשען (mruzhen) — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Yiddish: פּינטלען (pintlen) — to look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight
  • Bulgarian: гледам изкосо (gledam izkoso) — to look or glance sideways
  • Chinese Mandarin: 斜視 /斜视 (xiéshì) — to look or glance sideways
  • Dutch: loensen — to look or glance sideways
  • Finnish: vilkaista sivulle — to look or glance sideways
  • Finnish: vilkuilla — to look or glance sideways
  • French: loucher — to look or glance sideways
  • German: schielen — to look or glance sideways
  • Hebrew: פָּזַל (pazál) — to look or glance sideways
  • Hungarian: sandít — to look or glance sideways
  • Hungarian: ferdén néz — to look or glance sideways
  • Italian: strabicare — to look or glance sideways
  • Māori: kārepa — to look or glance sideways
  • Māori: karapa — to look or glance sideways
  • Norman: vaie d'travèrs — to look or glance sideways
  • Norwegian Bokmål: skotte — to look or glance sideways
  • Portuguese: olhar de soslaio — to look or glance sideways
  • Russian: смотре́ть и́скоса (smotrétʹ ískosa) — to look or glance sideways
  • Russian: коси́ться (kosítʹsja) — to look or glance sideways
  • Russian: покоси́ться (pokosítʹsja) — to look or glance sideways
  • Spanish: mirar de soslayo — to look or glance sideways
  • Swedish: snegla — to look or glance sideways
  • Azerbaijani: qıymaq — to look with, or have eyes that are turned in different directions
  • Bulgarian: кривоглед съм (krivogled sǎm) — to look with, or have eyes that are turned in different directions
  • Czech: šilhat — to look with, or have eyes that are turned in different directions
  • Dutch: scheelkijken — to look with, or have eyes that are turned in different directions
  • Esperanto: strabi — to look with, or have eyes that are turned in different directions
  • Finnish: katsoa kieroon — to look with, or have eyes that are turned in different directions
  • Finnish: karsastaa — to look with, or have eyes that are turned in different directions
  • French: loucher — to look with, or have eyes that are turned in different directions
  • German: schielen — to look with, or have eyes that are turned in different directions
  • Greek: αλληθωρίζω (allithorízo) — to look with, or have eyes that are turned in different directions
  • Hebrew: פָּזַל (pazál) — to look with, or have eyes that are turned in different directions
  • Hungarian: bandzsít — to look with, or have eyes that are turned in different directions
  • Hungarian: kancsalít — to look with, or have eyes that are turned in different directions
  • Irish: fiarshúil a bheith ionat — to look with, or have eyes that are turned in different directions
  • Norman: vaie d'travèrs — to look with, or have eyes that are turned in different directions
  • Old English: sċīelan — to look with, or have eyes that are turned in different directions
  • Polish: zezować — to look with, or have eyes that are turned in different directions
  • Portuguese: vesguear — to look with, or have eyes that are turned in different directions
  • Russian: коси́ть (kosítʹ) — to look with, or have eyes that are turned in different directions
  • Scottish Gaelic: claon — to look with, or have eyes that are turned in different directions
  • Scottish Gaelic: fiar — to look with, or have eyes that are turned in different directions
  • Scottish Gaelic: spleuchd — to look with, or have eyes that are turned in different directions
  • Spanish: bizquear — to look with, or have eyes that are turned in different directions
  • Swedish: skela — to look with, or have eyes that are turned in different directions
  • Ottoman Turkish: شاشیلامق (şaşılamak) — to look with, or have eyes that are turned in different directions
  • Finnish: olla vinossa — to be not quite straight
  • Finnish: olla kiero — to be not quite straight
  • French: louvoyer — to be not quite straight
  • Finnish: vetää kieroon — to turn to an oblique position
  • Finnish: kääntää vinoon — to turn to an oblique position