What does "squint" mean?
An expression in which the eyes are partly closed.
Squint
/skwɪnt/ adj, noun, verb, slang
adj, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An expression in which the eyes are partly closed.
- Grammar: squint is listed as adj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: strabismus, aberration, askance, askant.
- Useful contrasts: direct look, gaze, normal alignment.
- Usage evidence: For the next photo, let's change the way you're facing. The sunlight is making you squint.
How to use "squint"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "squint" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "squint" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "squint" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "squint" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "squint" is acting as adj, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "strabismus" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "squint", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An expression in which the eyes are partly closed.
- 2 the act of squinting; looking with the eyes partly closed wordnet
- 3 The look of eyes which are turned in different directions, as in strabismus.
"He looks handsome although he's got a slight squint."
- 4 abnormal alignment of one or both eyes wordnet
- 5 A quick or sideways glance.
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 A short look; a peep. informal
"—And here she is, says Alf, that was giggling over the Police Gazette with Terry on the counter, in all her warpaint. —Give us a squint at her, says I."
- 7 A hagioscope.
- 8 The angle by which the transmission signal is offset from the normal of a phased array antenna.
- 9 An opening, often arched, through an internal wall of a church, providing an oblique view of the altar.
Verb
- 1 To look with the eyes partly closed, as in bright sunlight, or as a threatening expression. intransitive
"The children squinted to frighten each other."
- 2 cross one's eyes as if in strabismus wordnet
- 3 To look or glance sideways. intransitive
- 4 partly close one's eyes, as when hit by direct blinding light wordnet
- 5 To look with, or have eyes that are turned in different directions; to suffer from strabismus. intransitive
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 be cross-eyed; have a squint or strabismus wordnet
- 7 To have an indirect bearing, reference, or implication; to have an allusion to, or inclination towards, something. figuratively, intransitive
"Yet if the following sentence means anything, it is a squinting toward hypnotism."
- 8 To be not quite straight, off-centred; to deviate from a true line; to run obliquely. Scotland, intransitive
- 9 To turn to an oblique position; to direct obliquely. transitive
"to squint an eye"
Adjective
- 1 Looking obliquely; having the vision distorted.
- 2 askew, not level Scotland
Adjective
- 1 (used especially of glances) directed to one side with or as if with doubt or suspicion or envy wordnet
Example
"For the next photo, let's change the way you're facing. The sunlight is making you squint."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "squint"?
Common synonyms include: strabismus, aberration, askance, askant, asquint, cast.
How do you use "squint" in a sentence?
For the next photo, let's change the way you're facing. The sunlight is making you squint.
How do you pronounce "squint"?
Pronounced /skwɪnt/.
Etymology
Derived from asquint (“obliquely, with a sidelong glance”).