‘刺眼’ literally means ‘stabbing the eye’ — combining 刺 (cì, ‘to pierce’ or ‘to sting’) and 眼 (yǎn, ‘eye’). It describes light so intense or harsh that it causes physical discomfort, like sunlight reflecting off snow or a car’s headlights at night. Unlike general terms for brightness (e.g., 明亮), 刺眼 carries a distinctly negative, sensory-connotative meaning: it implies irritation, temporary visual strain, or involuntary squinting.

This adjective is commonly used in everyday situations involving lighting conditions — think of unshaded lamps, glossy phone screens in dark rooms, or midday sun on water. It functions predicatively (e.g., 这灯太刺眼了) or attributively before nouns (e.g., 刺眼的阳光), but rarely as a standalone noun. Native speakers often pair it with degree words like 太, 很, or 有点 to indicate intensity, and it frequently appears in warnings or complaints about environmental comfort.