い形容詞 III

あくどい手口てぐちで高齢こうれい者しゃをだましていた。

They had been swindling elderly people by unscrupulous means.

Usage あくどい商売, あくどい手口 — unscrupulous and callous; and separately, of colours, garish. The first sense is far more common.

Remember it あく (excess, dregs) + どい → laid on thicker than anyone could stomach.

自分じぶんのミスが原因げんいんで、いたたまれない気持きもちだった。

It was my own mistake, and I could hardly bear to stay there.

Usage Too ashamed or too guilty to stay where you are. From 居ても立ってもいられない. Always in the negative form.

Remember it 居る (stay) + 堪える (bear) + ない → you cannot bear to stay standing there.

梅雨つゆの時期じきはうっとうしい日ひが続つづく。

The rainy season brings one gloomy day after another.

Usage Two uses: oppressive, muggy weather, and anything that is a nuisance — 前髪がうっとうしい, a fringe getting in your eyes. Colloquial. Also written 鬱陶しい.

Remember it 鬱陶 (gloom, stagnation) → the weight of air that will not move.

会場かいじょうにはおびただしい数かずの人ひとが集あつまった。

An enormous number of people gathered at the venue.

Usage おびただしい数の〜 — countless, overwhelming. It goes almost only with 数 or 量. Also written 夥しい. Written register.

Remember it 夥 (numerous) → more of them than you could begin to count.

がめつい商売しょうばいをして評判ひょうばんを落おとした。

Grasping business practices lost him his reputation.

Usage Money-grubbing, penny-pinching to the point of being unpleasant. Colloquial, originally Kansai dialect. Critical.

Remember it がめる (grab for oneself) + つい → always grabbing for the money.

嘘うそがばれてきまりわるい思おもいをした。

My lie came out and I felt awkward about it.

Usage Embarrassed at having been caught at something. Also written 決まり悪い. The noun is きまり悪さ.

Remember it きまり (composure, propriety) + 悪い (bad) → your composure not holding up.

けたたましい警報けいほう音おんに飛とび起おきた。

A shrill alarm jolted me awake.

Usage けたたましい音, けたたましい笑い声 — piercing enough to startle you. Always about sound, and always unwelcome.

Remember it けたたましい → the sound that goes through you before you can brace.

相手あいてはしぶとく食くい下さがってきた。

The opponent hung on tenaciously.

Usage Hard to put down. It can be praise, for resilience, or criticism, for obstinacy — the context decides.

Remember it しぶとい → it will not give, however hard you press it.

すばしこい動うごきで相手あいてをかわした。

He dodged his opponent with a nimble movement.

Usage Quick and darting, about bodily movement. Also written すばしっこい. Distinct from 素早い, which covers quickness of reaction too.

Remember it すばしこい → moving before the eye can follow.

別わかれの場面ばめんがせつなくて涙なみだが出でた。

The parting scene was so poignant that it brought tears.

Usage An ache of longing or regret — a soft, sweet sadness, not the plain grief of 悲しい. Also written 切ない.

Remember it 切 (cut, press) → the chest feeling tight, as though pressed.

たわいない話はなしで盛もり上あがった。

We had a lively time over trivial chatter.

Usage たわいない話 — idle, harmless talk. Also たわいなく負ける, losing without a fight. Also written たわいもない.

Remember it たわい (substance, sense) + ない → nothing solid in it at all.

つれない返事へんじに肩かたを落おとした。

The cold reply left me downcast.

Usage つれない態度, つれない返事 — unmoved by another person's goodwill. Literary, and common in poetry and song lyrics.

Remember it 連れる (go along with) + ない → not coming along with your feelings at all.

途方とほうもない計画けいかくに聞きこえるが本気ほんきだ。

It sounds like a preposterous plan, but he is serious.

Usage 途方もない — beyond imagining, for good or ill. Related: 途方に暮れる, being at a complete loss.

Remember it 途 (path) + 方 (direction) + ない → no path and no direction to it.

なにげない一言ひとことが人ひとを傷きずつけることがある。

A casual remark can sometimes wound someone.

Usage Unintentional, offhand. The adverb 何気なく is very common: 何気なく見た, happening to glance at something.

Remember it 何 (anything) + 気 (intention) + ない → with nothing in mind behind it.

準備じゅんびはぬかりなく整ととのえてある。

The preparations are in order, with nothing overlooked.

Usage ぬかりなく is the usual form. ぬかりはないか asks whether anything has been missed. Also written 抜かりない.

Remember it 抜かる (let something slip) + ない → nothing let slip.

交渉こうしょうははかばかしい進展しんてんを見みせていない。

The negotiations are showing no satisfactory progress.

Usage The point to hold: it is almost always negated — はかばかしくない, not going well. Also written 捗々しい.

Remember it 捗 (progress) doubled → progress worth calling progress, or, negated, none.

人前ひとまえでそんな振ふる舞まいははしたない。

Behaving like that in public is unseemly.

Usage Improper, especially about manners and eating. Usually the voice of an adult correcting someone.

Remember it はした (half-measure, out of place) + ない → falling outside what is done.

何なにもできず、ふがいない自分じぶんが嫌いやになる。

I could do nothing, and I am disgusted with my own feebleness.

Usage Spineless, disappointingly weak — often said of oneself. Also written 不甲斐ない.

Remember it 不 (not) + 甲斐 (worth, effect) + ない → nothing to show for yourself.

大勢おおぜいの前まえで褒ほめられて面映おもはゆかった。

Being praised in front of so many people made me self-conscious.

Usage Abashed at praise or attention — a pleasant embarrassment, unlike 恥ずかしい. Written register. Read おもはゆい.

Remember it 面 (face) + 映ゆい (glow) → the face going warm under the attention.

むごい仕打しうちに言葉ことばを失うしなった。

I was lost for words at such cruel treatment.

Usage むごい仕打ち, むごい光景 — cruel or gruesome enough that you cannot look. Also written 惨い. Close to 残酷.

Remember it 惨 (wretched, cruel) → cruelty of the kind that leaves wreckage.

店員てんいんはめざとく客きゃくの様子ようすに気きづいた。

The shop assistant was quick to notice the customer's manner.

Usage Sharp-eyed, missing nothing. It also means waking easily. Also written 目敏い; the adverb めざとく is common.

Remember it 目 (eye) + 敏い (quick) → the eye that catches it first.

会場かいじょう周辺しゅうへんはものものしい警備けいびだった。

Security around the venue was heavy.

Usage ものものしい警備, ものものしい雰囲気 — imposing to the point of excess. Also written 物々しい. It usually implies more fuss than the occasion needs.

Remember it 物 (thing) doubled → so much apparatus laid on that it becomes the point.

やましいことは何なにもしていない。

I have done nothing I need feel guilty about.

Usage やましいことはない — the negative is the common form. やましい気持ち is a guilty conscience.

Remember it やましい → the conscience that will not sit quiet.

今回こんかいの相手あいてはなかなか手強てごわい。

This time the opponent is a tough one.

Usage 手強い相手 — formidable, hard to beat. Read てごわい. Respectful rather than critical. Opposite: 与しやすい.

Remember it 手 (hand) + 強い (strong) → strong in the hands, and you will feel it.

欲深よくぶかい人ひとほど損そんをすることがある。

It is often the greedy who lose out.

Usage Greedy, never satisfied. Read よくぶかい. The colloquial equivalent is 欲張り. The idiom 欲をかく means overreaching out of greed.

Remember it 欲 (desire) + 深い (deep) → wanting deeper than the bottom.

食たべ方かたがいやしいと注意ちゅういされた。

I was told off for eating greedily.

Usage Two senses: greedy, grabbing at whatever is going; and low or vulgar in character. Also written 卑しい. Both are critical.

Remember it 卑 (base, low) → beneath the standard a person should keep.

初はじめての発表はっぴょうでたどたどしい日本語にほんごになった。

It was my first presentation and my Japanese came out halting.

Usage たどたどしい日本語, たどたどしい足取り — faltering, not yet practised. Not a harsh criticism; it often carries some affection.

Remember it 辿る (feel your way along) doubled → each step found before it is taken.

門もん構がまえのいかめしい屋敷やしきだった。

It was a mansion with an imposing gate.

Usage いかめしい顔, いかめしい門構え — stern and imposing enough to keep people at a distance. Also written 厳めしい. Close to ものものしい.

Remember it 厳 (stern) → built or set to make you hesitate.

そらぞらしいお世辞せじは要いらない。

I can do without insincere flattery.

Usage Transparently false — everyone can see through it. Almost a synonym of 白々しい. Also written 空々しい.

Remember it 空 (empty) doubled → hollow, and hollow again.

申もうし出でをこころよく引ひき受うけてくれた。

He agreed to my request readily.

Usage こころよく引き受ける — agreeing with good grace; the adverb is the usual form. Also written 快い. Distinct from 快適, which is physical comfort.

Remember it 快 (pleasant) → what the heart takes gladly.

朝日あさひに照てらされた山やまはこうごうしかった。

The mountain lit by the morning sun was sublime.

Usage Awe-inspiring, as though a god were present. Also written 神々しい. Used of scenery, light and bearing.

Remember it 神 (god) doubled → so much of the divine in it that you feel it.

とげとげしい言いい方かたに場ばが凍こおりついた。

The barbed remark froze the room.

Usage とげとげしい言い方, とげとげしい態度 — prickly and sharp. Also written 刺々しい. とげ is a thorn; 言葉のとげ is the barb in a remark.

Remember it 刺 (thorn) doubled → thorns all over it.

寝顔ねがおを見みているといとおしくなる。

Watching the sleeping face makes me feel such tenderness.

Usage Dear enough to want to cherish. Used of small children and those one loves. Also written 愛おしい. The verb is いとおしむ.

Remember it 愛 (love) + おしい (loath to lose) → loved, and dreaded to be parted from.

雨あめ続つづきの天気てんきがうらめしい。

This endless rainy weather is maddening.

Usage 〜がうらめしい — reproachful, and usable even of inanimate things. Also written 恨めしい. 恨めしそうな目 is a reproachful look.

Remember it 恨 (resent) on the heart radical 忄 → the heart holding it against something.

きわどいところで間まに合あった。

I made it by the skin of my teeth.

Usage きわどいところで — by a hair's breadth; and きわどい話, a risqué topic. Also written 際どい. 際 is the edge or boundary.

Remember it 際 (the very edge) + どい → right on the edge of going wrong.

にがにがしい表情ひょうじょうで席せきを立たった。

He rose from his seat with a look of distaste.

Usage にがにがしい表情, にがにがしい思い — openly disgusted. Also written 苦々しい. From 苦い, bitter: this is bitterness inside.

Remember it 苦 (bitter) doubled → the taste of it twice over.

実用じつよう化かにはまだほど遠とおい。

It is still a long way from practical use.

Usage 〜にはほど遠い — note the には. The distance is abstract; it is not used of physical distance.

Remember it ほど (degree) + 遠い (far) → far off in degree, not in miles.

両国りょうこくの対立たいりつは根深ねぶかい。

The antagonism between the two countries is deep-rooted.

Usage 根深い問題, 根深い対立 — rooted too deep to pull out. The subject is always something negative. Read ねぶかい.

Remember it 根 (root) + 深い (deep) → rooted deep under the surface.

由緒ゆいしょ正ただしい家系かけいの出でだそうだ。

He is said to come from a family of good pedigree.

Usage 由緒 is provenance, so 由緒正しい is of proper and ancient lineage. Used of families, shrines and schools. Read ゆいしょ.

Remember it 由緒 (provenance) + 正しい (correct) → a provenance that stands up to checking.

祖父そふは気難きむずかしいところがある。

My grandfather has a difficult streak.

Usage 気難しい人 — hard to please and quick to find fault. Read きむずかしい. Unlike 難しい, which is about tasks, this is always about temperament.

Remember it 気 (temper) + 難しい (difficult) → the temper is the difficult part.

会議かいぎ室しつは重苦おもくるしい沈黙ちんもくに包つつまれた。

An oppressive silence filled the meeting room.

Usage 重苦しい雰囲気, 重苦しい沈黙 — heavy enough to be hard to breathe in. Read おもくるしい. Close to 重々しい, but 重苦しい stresses the discomfort.

Remember it 重い (heavy) + 苦しい (painful) → a weight that is uncomfortable to sit under.