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Kotomora

鬱

gloom, depression, melancholy, luxuriant

StatusJōyō · secondary schoolStrokes29

Readings

On'yomi

  • ウツ

Kun'yomi

  • うっ.する
  • ふさ.ぐ
  • しげ.る

Meaning

鬱 centers on a dense, heavy, and tangled state: emotional gloom and depression, or physical lushness and overgrowth. The meanings share the idea of something thickly packed and hard to see through.

Most common words using 鬱

20 of 37
  • 鬱うつ

    depression; low spirits

  • 憂鬱ゆううつ
    N2

    depression; melancholy; dejection; gloom; despondency

  • 鬱陶しいうっとうしい
    N2

    gloomy (e.g. mood); depressing

  • 鬱金うこん

    turmeric (Curcuma domestica)

  • 鬱憤うっぷん

    resentment; grudge; pent-up anger; frustration; bitterness

  • 陰鬱いんうつ

    gloomy; melancholy; dreary; depressed; dismal

  • 鬱屈うっくつ

    gloomy

  • 鬱々うつうつ

    gloomy; melancholy; pessimistic

  • 躁鬱そううつ

    manic depression; mood swing

  • 鬱積うっせき

    accumulation (of discontent, frustration, etc.); buildup; suppression (e.g. of anger)

  • 鬱蒼うっそう

    thick; dense; luxuriant

  • 憂鬱症ゆううつしょう

    melancholia; severe depression

  • 憂鬱質ゆううつしつ

    susceptibility to depression

  • 抑鬱よくうつ

    dejection; depression

  • 暗鬱あんうつ

    gloom; melancholy

  • 気鬱きうつ

    gloom; mental depression

  • 気鬱症きうつしょう

    depression; melancholy

  • 沈鬱ちんうつ

    melancholy; gloom; depression

  • 産後抑鬱症さんごよくうつしょう

    postpartum depression; postnatal depression

  • 産後鬱さんごうつ

    postpartum depression; postnatal depression

Explore all words using 鬱 →

Study

Etymology

鬱 is a complex character whose exact historical development is uncertain. It likely combines elements suggesting dense vegetation (林, 冖) with a container (缶) and decorative strokes (彡), together conveying the idea of something thickly packed or pent-up.

Meaning mnemonic

Picture a forest (林) so thick that it covers everything like a lid (冖), with tangled vines (彡) wrapping around a sealed jar (缶) and a dense thicket (鬯). The whole scene is suffocatingly lush and gloomy—鬱.

Reading mnemonic

For ウツ, imagine the heavy, oppressive air of a dense forest making you mutter 'oots' (like a deep sigh) as you push through the gloom: 'oots' -> ウツ.