squint

adjective

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\ ˈskwint

Definition of squint

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 of an eye : looking or tending to look obliquely or askance (as with envy or disdain)

2 of the eyes : not having the visual axes parallel : crossed

squint

verb

squinted; squinting; squints

Definition of squint (Entry 2 of 3)

intransitive verb

1a : to have an indirect bearing, reference, or aim

b : to deviate from a true line

2a : to look in a squint-eyed manner

b : to be cross-eyed

c : to look or peer with eyes partly closed

transitive verb

: to cause (an eye) to squint

squint

noun

Definition of squint (Entry 3 of 3)

1 : strabismus

2 : an instance of squinting

3 : hagioscope

Other Words from squint Example Sentences Phrases Containing squint Learn More About squint

Other Words from squint

Verb

squinter noun

squintingly \ ˈskwin-tiŋ-lē

\ adverb

Noun

squinty \ ˈskwin-tē

\ adjective

Examples of squint in a Sentence

Verb She had to squint to read the small print. He squinted through the haze of smoke. I had to squint my eyes to focus on the tiny letters. I noticed that he squints. Noun Her gaze narrowed into a squint.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Point to a random photograph, and Avery will generally be able to squint and tell you something about the biker in question. — New York Times, 23 Feb. 2022 Many people also squint to read text on the screen or hold their phones or computers below their faces, making their jawlines appear more saggy or creating a double-chin effect. — Lizz Schumer, Good Housekeeping, 7 Feb. 2022 Nevertheless, no one has to squint to see progress. — Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2022 That, then, becomes the art of recruiting, the ability to squint and see what a player will look like in two or three years. — Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Dec. 2021 Nearly two years later, Wilson still has peripheral vision loss and must squint to read. — Emilie Eaton, San Antonio Express-News, 16 Dec. 2021 Binoculars burrow into brows as a cluster of Coloradans squint up the slope. — Sarah Matusek, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Nov. 2021 People with photophobia may squint or shut their eyes when exposed to light. — Jenny Mccoy, Health.com, 27 Oct. 2021 On Sunday, a concert attendee would have had to squint to see signs of the pandemic persisting. — New York Times, 21 June 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Though her voluminous pink gown draped over her hands, a certain accessory on that finger made eagle-eyed fans squint. — Jacqueline Saguin, Good Housekeeping, 14 May 2022 My mom has been blind in one eye, a result of an untreated squint, for many years and has had a severe Astigmatism in the other eye since she was born. — Christopher Marquis, Forbes, 13 May 2022 This is where the ability to squint starts to come in handy. — Chris Willman, Variety, 10 May 2022 When the sound came that meant a buddy had appeared online, Guin grabbed for my computer, roughly pressing the screen way back to squint at it. — Kathleen Alcott, Harper’s Magazine , 27 Apr. 2022 In other circumstances, people might view that type of playlist combo with a head-scratching squint. — Rick Suter, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2022 When Phillips disconnected the call and made adjustments to queue up the next few songs, the man studied a framed photo that sat on the desk, offered a squint of recognition and looked up. — Greg Borowski, jsonline.com, 20 Dec. 2021 As Riff, the leader of the Jets, Mike Faist has a lean sociopathic squint, and David Alvarez plays Bernardo, leader of the Sharks, with a mean swagger of self-righteousness. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 2 Dec. 2021 Automobili Pininfarina’s design director Luca Borgogno’s sleek, elegant work is a worthy offering to the gods of balance and proportion; squint and you just may glimpse a Ferrari 458 in the hips and sensuous haunches. — Nicolas Stecher, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'squint.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for squint

Adjective

probably aphetic form of earlier a squint, going back to Middle English a squynt, in the phrase beholden (loken) a squynt "to be cross-eyed, look obliquely," from a- a- entry 1 + squynt, of uncertain origin

Note: Middle English a squynt, asquint has been compared with Dutch schuin "aslant, slantingly, askew" (unknown in Middle Dutch, first attested as schuyn "transversus, obliquus" in the Dutch-Latin dictionary of Cornelis Kiliaan, 1599), though the nature of the relationship is unclear. (Dutch schuin is paralleled by Gronings [West Low German] schuun, Low German schün, hypothetically from Germanic *skeuni-.) The form asquint is attested early, already in the Ancrene Wisse (as an addition in one manuscript, British Library Cotton Nero A.14, mid-13th century), but if a putative early Middle Dutch [sχy:n], prior to the development of the diphthong, is the source, -squint seems an unlikely outcome. Variants without t (of skwyn "on a slant," askoyn, ascoign "askance") may have a more direct relationship to Dutch schuin.