瞪

• Pinyin: dèng
• Hanzi breakdown: 瞪 = 目 + 登 (eye + ascend = to raise one's eyes and glare)

Meaning

To stare at; to glare at; to glower. Describes fixing an intense, often angry or reproachful gaze on someone.

Carries a strong emotional charge — usually implies anger, disapproval, or displeasure. More intense than 看 (look) or 盯 (stare fixedly). Common in literary descriptions of conflict, authority, or tension.

Examples

1. 她气得瞪着对方，却一句话也说不出来。 She was so angry that she glared at the other person, but couldn’t say a single word.
2. 父亲瞪了他一眼，示意他不要再多说话。 His father shot him a glare, signaling him not to say anything more.
3. 老师走进教室，瞪着喧闹的学生们，全班立刻安静下来。 The teacher walked into the classroom and glared at the noisy students, and the whole class immediately fell silent.

Usage Guide

Context: emotion, conflict, narrative, body language

Tone: tense

Do Say

• 他被老板瞪了一眼后，立刻停下了争辩。(After being glared at by his boss, he immediately stopped arguing.)
• 妈妈瞪着乱扔玩具的孩子，等待他自己主动收拾。(Mother glared at the child who had thrown toys everywhere, waiting for him to tidy up on his own.)

Don't Say

• 他瞪了一个微笑 — 瞪 implies anger or displeasure and cannot co-occur with a smile; use 他睁大眼睛笑了 for a wide-eyed smile

Origin & History

瞪 = 目 (eye) + 登 (ascend) — eyes raised in a hard, upward stare

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal