瞑 (míng): to close (the eyes)

Meanings

老人瞑目静静地躺在床上。

Lǎorén míng mù jìng jìng de tǎng zài chuáng shàng.

The old man closed his eyes and rested quietly on the bed.

知道事情解决了，他终于可以瞑目了。

Zhīdào shìqíng jiějué le, tā zhōngyú kěyǐ míngmù le.

Knowing the matter was settled, he could finally die in peace.

usage

Mainly in 瞑目 (to close the eyes), often figuratively to die with no regrets, as in 死不瞑目 (to die with unfulfilled wishes).

radical

目 mù

eye

The eye radical, a vertical drawing of an eye. It marks this as a word about the eyes, here the action of closing them.

phonetic

冥 míng

dark; the netherworld

Supplies the sound, 冥 giving míng directly. Its sense of darkness also fits eyes shut into blackness, especially in the dying-with-regret sense.

瞑 míng