Word
見苦しい
Meaning in Englishunsightly, ugly
Animated kanji stroke order
Word context
What it means
What does 見苦しい mean? It means unattractive to look at or to observe, a quality or behavior that makes a scene or person unpleasant to the eye; used to express strong disapproval of appearance or conduct.
Main meanings
- Visually unattractive; not pleasing to the eye.
- Discreditable or improper behavior; something that causes embarrassment or a poor impression.
- Strong negative judgment about taste or propriety; emphasizes discomfort or revulsion.
How to use it
Used in casual and formal contexts to condemn appearance or conduct; can describe people, objects, or situations; in conversation it often carries a judgmental tone; in writing it's common in critiques or opinion pieces.
Variants and close terms
- 醜い (minikui) — ugly
- みっともない (mottomonai) — unbecoming
- 不細工 (busaiku) — unattractive
- 上品だ (jōhin da) — refined, tasteful (antonym)
Composition
- 見 — see, look
- 苦しい — painful, difficult; conveys discomfort when seen
Word class
adjective (い-adjective)
Related words by kanji and components
N1
見渡す
miwatasu
to look out over, to survey (scene), to take an extensive view of
N1
無茶苦茶
muchakucha
confused, jumbled, mixed up, unreasonable
N1
目論見
mokuromi
a plan, a scheme, intention
N1
余所見
yosomi
looking away, looking aside
N2
苦情
kujou
complaint, grievance, grumble
N2
苦心
kushin
pain, trouble
N2
見学
kengaku
tour, study by observation
N2
ご苦労様
gokurousama
Thank you for your hard work
N2
見上げる
miageru
to look up at, to admire