yuān

眢

Character · Adjective

sunken eyes; dried up

Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma

Meanings

2 senses · 5 examples
1.

adjective

(of eyes) sunken and dried up; hollow-eyed

archaic

Literary term describing the appearance of eyes after illness, starvation, or extreme fatigue.

Jiǔ久
bìng病
zhī之
hòu后
 ，
tā他
shuāng双
mù目
yuān眢
rán然
 ，
xíng形
róng容
kū枯
gǎo槁
 。

After a long illness, his eyes were sunken and hollow, his appearance emaciated.

Yuān眢
mù目
xiāng相
shì视
 ，
bù不
biàn辨
bǐ彼
cǐ此
 。

They looked at each other with sunken eyes, unable to distinguish one from another.

2.

adjective

dried up; exhausted; depleted (of water sources)

archaic

Primarily used in literary contexts, often in the compound 眢井 (dry well).

Cǐ此
jǐng井
yǐ已
yuān眢
 ，
bù不
kān堪
yǐn饮
yòng用
 。

This well has dried up and is no longer fit for drinking.

Quán泉
yuán源
yuān眢
jié竭
 ，
cǎo草
mù木
kū枯
huáng黄
 。

The spring has dried up, and the plants have withered and turned yellow.

Show 1 more example
Yuān眢
jǐng井
zhī之
wā蛙
 ，
suǒ所
jiàn见
bù不
dà大
 。

A frog in a dry well has a limited perspective.