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
陽気
youki
weather, season, cheerfulness
N3
大気
taiki
atmosphere, air
N3
人気
ninki
popularity
N3
雰囲気
funiki
atmosphere (e.g., musical), mood, ambiance
N3
磁気
jiki
magnetism
N3
保障
hoshou
guarantee, security, warranty
N4
故障
koshou
breakdown, malfunction
N4
気分
kibun
mood, feeling, state of mind
N4
空気
kuuki
air, atmosphere, mood
Kanji