JLPT N1
めく
To seem like / To have an air of
Structure
Noun めく
How it works
The suffix めく is attached to certain nouns to indicate that something has the quality, feeling, or appearance of that noun. It is often used to describe seasonal transitions or things that are starting to show characteristic traits. It functions as a U-verb (Group 1), so it can conjugate into forms like めいた (adjective-like) or めいて (te-form).
Examples
日差しが明るくなり、ようやく春めいてきました。
The sunlight has become brighter, and it finally feels like spring is in the air.
彼の話し方はどこか謎めいている。
There is something mysterious about the way he speaks.
そんな皮肉めいた言い方はしないでください。
Please don't say it in such a sarcastic tone.
Common mistakes
Do not confuse this with ～らしい or ～っぽい; while those express similarity, めく is more formal and limited to specific nouns like 春 (spring), 謎 (mystery), or 冗談 (joke).
Tip
Think of めく as 'becoming more like' or 'showing signs of.' It is most frequently tested with seasonal words or words describing an 'air' or 'atmosphere' (like 説教めく - to sound like a lecture).
More JLPT N1 grammar
See めく in real Japanese
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