JLPT N1Spoken and writtenSet words

紛まぎれにin a fit of; out of sheer

A feeling gets the better of someone and they do something rash. It lives in a handful of ready-made words: ones to recognize, not to build yourself.

腹はら立だち紛まぎれに、届とどいた手て紙がみを破やぶってしまった。

In a fit of anger, I tore up the letter that had come.

How to form it

腹はら立だち・悔くやし・苦くるし + 紛まぎれに

A closed set. The ones you will meet are these three, 退たい屈くつ紛まぎれに and どさくさ紛まぎれに. 悔くやし and 苦くるし are the adjectives without their い.

Before a noun

… 紛まぎれの + noun

苦くるし紛まぎれの言いい訳わけ, a desperate excuse.

After it: Usually something rash, often with てしまう: a harsh word, a blow to the desk, a lie, an excuse.
Said about: Yourself, with regret, or someone else, with disapproval.
Where you'll meet it: Novels, news and conversation. 苦くるし紛まぎれ and どさくさ紛まぎれ are everyday words, and ones to use.

The set

腹はら立だち紛まぎれにin a fit of anger

腹はら立だち紛まぎれに言いった一ひと言ことが、長なが年ねんの友ゆう情じょうを壊こわしてしまった。

One remark made in a fit of anger destroyed a friendship of many years.

悔くやし紛まぎれにsore at losing or failing

彼かれは悔くやし紛まぎれに、審しん判ぱんの判はん断だんが不ふ公こう平へいだったと言いい張はった。

Sore at losing, he insisted that the referee's decision had been unfair.

苦くるし紛まぎれにin desperation, when cornered

苦くるし紛まぎれに、その場ばしのぎの約やく束そくをしてしまった。

In desperation, I made a promise just to get out of a tight spot.

退たい屈くつ紛まぎれにto kill the boredom

退たい屈くつ紛まぎれに、古ふるいアルバムを開ひらいてみた。

With nothing better to do, I opened an old photo album.

The mild one: nothing rash, just something to pass the time.

どさくさ紛まぎれにin the confusion

どさくさ紛まぎれに、彼かれは自じ分ぶんの失しっ敗ぱいを部ぶ下かのせいにした。

In the confusion, he pinned his own mistake on one of his staff.

A relative. No feeling drives it: someone uses a commotion as cover. Also said どさくさに紛まぎれて.

に紛まぎれて is something else

に紛まぎれて is "hidden among" or "lost in": a crowd, the dark, a busy week.

犯はん人にんは人ひとごみに紛まぎれて逃にげた。

The culprit got away by melting into the crowd.

Close neighbours

のあまりN2

The open one: any feeling can go before it. What follows is what the feeling did to you, and doesn't have to be anything rash.

怒いかりのあまり、手てにしていた紙かみを握にぎりつぶした。

I was so angry that I crushed the paper I was holding.

Check yourself

1What does this mean?

彼かれは苦くるし紛まぎれに、知しらないと答こたえた。

Choose an answer to see why.

2Which one fits?

緊きん張ちょう（　　）、声こえが震ふるえた。

Choose an answer to see why.

More sentences

腹はら立だち紛まぎれに、店てん員いんにきつい言こと葉ばをぶつけてしまった。

In a fit of anger, I snapped at the salesclerk.

悔くやし紛まぎれに、勝しょう者しゃの努ど力りょくまで否ひ定ていするようなことを言いった。

Sore at losing, he even said things that belittled the winner's hard work.

追おい詰つめられた彼かの女じょは、苦くるし紛まぎれに矛む盾じゅんした説せつ明めいを始はじめた。

Backed into a corner, she launched in desperation into an explanation that contradicted itself.

それは苦くるし紛まぎれの言いい訳わけにすぎない。

That is nothing but a desperate excuse.

どさくさ紛まぎれに、重じゅう要ような質しつ問もんへの回かい答とうを避さけた。

In the confusion, he got out of answering the important question.