Word
図々しい
Meaning in Englishimpudent, shameless
Animated kanji stroke order
Word context
What it means
図々しい means behaving with shameless brazenness, showing little regard for others' boundaries or social norms; it describes bold, unembarrassed conduct that pushes past acceptable limits.
Main meanings
- shamelessly bold or brazen behavior, especially when demanding or ignoring social boundaries
- an insolent or cheeky attitude toward others
- applied to actions that intrude into someone else's space or etiquette
- tone can be playful, critical, or harsh depending on context
How to use it
Used primarily in casual to informal registers, often in complaint or humor; describes people who push social boundaries, describes behavior rather than a person, and is common in spoken Japanese, blogs, and media commentary; not typically suitable for formal writing.
Variants and close terms
- 厚かましい (atsukamashii) — shameless, audacious
- 生意気 (namaiki) — cheeky, impertinent
- 図太い (ずぶとい) (zubutoi) — thick-skinned, brazen
- 謙虚 (kenkyo) — humble (antonym)
Composition
- 図: figure, diagram, image; 々: repetition mark that repeats the previous character to intensify; しい: adjective suffix that turns the base into an -i adjective
Etymology
From the mimetic ずうずう (zuuzuu) sequence indicating boldness, (zuuzuu) sequence indicating boldness, attached to the kanji 図 to form the compound and the repetition mark 々 to intensify, plus the suffix しい to form an i-adjective.
Word class
adjective (i-adjective)