squint

American  

[skwint] / skwɪnt /

verb (used without object)

1. to look with the eyes partly closed.

2. Ophthalmology. to be affected with strabismus; be cross-eyed.

3. to look or glance obliquely or sidewise; look askance.

4. to make or have an indirect reference to or bearing on; tend or incline toward (usually followed by toward, at, etc.).

---

verb (used with object)

1. to close (the eyes) partly in looking.

   The baby squinted his eyes at the bright lights.

2. to cause to squint; cause to look obliquely.

noun

1. an act or instance of squinting.

2. Ophthalmology. a condition of the eye consisting in noncoincidence of the optic axes; strabismus.

3. Informal. a quick glance.

   Let me have a squint at that paper.

4. a looking obliquely or askance.

5. an indirect reference.

6. an inclination or tendency, especially an oblique or perverse one.

7. Also called hagioscope.  (in a church) a small opening in a wall giving a view of the altar.

adjective

1. looking obliquely; looking with a side glance; looking askance.

2. Ophthalmology. (of the eyes) affected with strabismus.

squint British  

/ skwɪnt /

verb

1. (usually intr) to cross or partly close (the eyes)

2. (intr) to have a squint

3. (intr) to look or glance sideways or askance

---

noun

1. the nontechnical name for strabismus

2. the act or an instance of squinting; glimpse

3. Also called: hagioscope.  a narrow oblique opening in a wall or pillar of a church to permit a view of the main altar from a side aisle or transept

4. informal a quick look; glance

adjective

1. having a squint

2. informal crooked; askew

Other Word Forms

• squinter noun
• squintingly adverb
• squintingness noun
• squinty adjective
• unsquinting adjective

Etymology

Origin of squint

First recorded in 1350–1400 as an adverb “with a squint; askant,” and 1570–80 for adjective senses; Middle English; variant of asquint

Example Sentences

Travis is seldom as blunt in his daily interactions with people, who often squint and look past the instability that is so subtly rendered by Mr. De Niro.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

A scan detected the benign mass on his brain after he developed a slight squint and suffered occasional painful headaches.

From BBC • Jan. 19, 2026

You could, if you squint, wonder how this year’s consumer grievances differ from prior years.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 15, 2025

They actually had different reasons for doing so: Rao thought that the details of the contempt enforcement were illegitimate; Katsas thought the government didn’t clearly violate Judge Boasberg’s order, if you squint and look sideways.

From Slate • Sep. 13, 2025

The sun was shining so bright that I had to squint.

From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga

Related Words

• peek
• peep