Word
気障
Meaning in Englishaffectation, conceit, snobbery
Animated kanji stroke order
Sentence
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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
意気込む
ikigomu
to be enthusiastic about
N1
素っ気無い
sokkenai
cold, short, curt, blunt
N1
短気
tanki
quick temper
N1
不景気
fukeiki
business recession, hard times, depression
N1
本気
honki
seriousness, truth, sanctity
N1
水気
mizuke
moisture, dampness
N1
無邪気
mujaki
innocence, simple-mindedness
N2
～気味
～gimi
slightly ~
N2
お気の毒に
okinodokuni
I'm sorry to hear that…
Kanji