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
N3
気温
kion
air temperature, weather temperature
N3
気候
kikou
climate
N3
気体
kitai
gas, gaseous substance
N3
気付く
kizuku
notice, realize, become aware
N3
気に入る
ki ni iru
like, be pleased with
N3
気の毒
ki no doku
pitiful, unfortunate, too bad
N3
気味
kimi
feeling, tendency, slight impression
N3
景気
keiki
economic condition, business climate
N3
勇気
yuuki
courage, bravery, boldness
Kanji