贅
luxury
Readings
On'yomi
- ゼイ
- セイ
Kun'yomi
- いぼ
Meaning
贅 centers on excess and lavishness: luxury, extravagance, or something superfluous. The idea of a wasteful surplus ties the given meaning together.
Most common words using 贅
- 贅沢ぜいたくN3
luxury; extravagance
- 贅肉ぜいにく
excess flesh; surplus fat; flab
- 贅ぜい
extravagance; luxury
- 上方贅六かみがたぜいろく
people from Kansai
- 内眼角贅皮ないがんかくぜいひ
epicanthic fold; epicanthal fold; epicanthus
- 疣贅ゆうぜい
wart; verruca
- 贅するぜいする
to say more than necessary
- 贅を尽くすぜいをつくす
to spare no expense; to live extravagantly; to indulge in the utmost luxury
- 贅六ぜいろく
person from Kansai
- 贅沢な悩みぜいたくななやみ
first world problem; good problem to have
- 贅沢を言うぜいたくをいう
to ask for too much; to expect too much
- 贅沢を言えばきりがないぜいたくをいえばきりがない
one can never be completely satisfied
- 贅沢三昧ぜいたくざんまい
indulging in every possible luxury
- 贅沢品ぜいたくひん
luxury item; luxury goods
- 贅言ぜいげん
verbosity; redundancy
- 足底疣贅そくていゆうぜい
plantar wart
Study
Etymology
贅 combines 敖 (a phonetic element suggesting excess or arrogance) with 貝 (shell/money), pointing to wasteful spending or luxury. The exact historical development is uncertain.
Meaning mnemonic
The top part 敖 looks like a proud person flaunting wealth, and the bottom 貝 is money. Together they show money spent on showy excess: luxury.
Reading mnemonic
For ゼイ, imagine a wealthy person saying 'zay' (like 'say' with a Z) while tossing coins into the air: zay -> ゼイ, and the money 貝 rains down in a wasteful display of luxury.