Word
気障
Meaning in Englishaffectation, conceit, snobbery
Animated kanji stroke order
Sentence
Related sentences
Related sentences
There are no published items in this section yet.
Word context
What it means
What does 気障 mean? It denotes pretentious, showy, or artificial behavior intended to impress others, often perceived as insincere or affected by someone trying too hard to seem refined.
Main meanings
- Primary meaning: ostentatious display or manner intended to signal status or refinement.
- Connotation and usage: pejorative; describes speech, gestures, or outfits that feel contrived rather than natural.
- Grammatical use: can describe a person (気障な人) or behavior, sometimes in literary or media contexts.
How to use it
Used in casual and semi-formal speech to label individuals or actions; typically negative, applied to speech, posture, clothes, or behavior that comes across as artificial; often found in conversations, opinion pieces, reviews, and social media commentary.
Variants and close terms
- 見栄を張る (mie o haru) — to show off; romaji mie o haru
- 派手 (hade) — flashy; romaji hade
- 仰々しい (gyougyoushii) — pompous; romaji gyougyoushii
- 地味 (jimi) — plain, not showy; romaji jimi
Composition
- 気 — energy, mood, spirit; here relates to one's demeanor and impression
- 障 — obstacle, barrier; conveys blocking or hindering sincerity from coming through
- Combined meaning: a deliberate display that creates a barrier to natural expression, yielding a showy or artificial impression
Word class
na-adjective (な-adjective)
Word
Related words by kanji and components
N1
気質
kishitsu
character, trait, temperament
N1
気象
kishou
weather, climate
N1
気立て
kidate
good-natured, kind-hearted
N1
気品
kihin
grace, elegance
N1
気風
kifuu
character, traits, ethos
N1
気まぐれ
kimagure
whim, caprice, uneven temper
N1
気流
kiryuu
atmospheric current
N1
湿気る
shikeru
to be damp, to be moist
N1
呆気ない
akkenai
not enough, too quick (short, long, etc.)
Kanji