目やに（めやに、meyani）
- eye mucus

目やに (めやに) refers to eye discharge, also known as eye gunk, sleep crust, or rheum. It's the collection of mucus, oil, skin cells, and other debris that accumulates in the corner of the eye, typically overnight or after a period of rest. The appearance can vary from a small, dry crust to a thicker, stickier substance depending on the cause and severity. 目やに can be a normal bodily function or can indicate an infection or other eye issue.

⚫︎ 朝起きたら、目やにがいっぱいだった。 Translation: When I woke up this morning, I had a lot of eye discharge. ⚫︎ 目やにがひどいので、眼科に行こうと思っています。 Translation: I'm thinking of going to the ophthalmologist because my eye discharge is bad. ⚫︎ 赤ちゃんはよく目やにが出るから、優しく拭いてあげて。 Translation: Babies often get eye discharge, so wipe it gently.

You use 目やに when describing the eye discharge you see in your own or someone else's eye. It is suitable in both casual and formal conversations, although the context might change the tone. It's important to differentiate from serious eye conditions, by using other words like 充血 for bloodshot eyes or 涙 for tears, as the situation changes.

目やに is primarily written in hiragana as めやに. The kanji for 目 means "eye" and に is a particle. Although the kanji version (目脂) exists, it is rarely used in everyday conversation.

There are no direct synonyms for 目やに, but terms related to the condition can be used. These terms are more technical or descriptive, such as: ⚫︎ 眼脂（がんし）- eye discharge (more medical term)

There are no direct antonyms for 目やに.

風邪をひいて、目やにがたくさん出た。 ・Translation: I caught a cold, and I had a lot of eye discharge. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the increase in eye discharge due to having a cold.

昨日はコンタクトレンズをつけっぱなしで寝てしまったので、朝起きたら目やにで目が開けにくかった。 ・Translation: I slept with my contact lenses in last night, so when I woke up this morning, my eyes were difficult to open because of the eye discharge. ・Explanation: This sentence explains a situation where eye discharge was particularly bothersome due to sleeping with contact lenses.

The word 目やに is a compound word. 目 means "eye," and やに generally refers to a sticky or gummy substance. Thus, 目やに literally means "eye gum" or "eye gunk," describing the substance found in the eyes.