Word
気障
Meaning in Englishaffectation, conceit, snobbery
Animated kanji stroke order
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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
N2
生意気
namaiki
impertinent, impudent
N2
生意気な
namaikina
impertinent, saucy, cheeky, impudent, audacious, cocky, pert, brash
N2
呑気
nonki
carefree, optimistic, careless
N2
吐き気
hakike
nausea, sickness in the stomach
N2
平気
heiki
coolness, calmness, unconcern
N2
湯気
yuge
steam
N3
湿気
shikke
moisture, humidity, dampness
N3
障害
shougai
obstacle, impediment, disability
N3
活気
kakki
vigor, liveliness, vitality
Kanji