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Words Kanji Guides About

むさ苦しい (むさくるしい) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

むさ苦くるしい

む

さ

く

る

し

い

Meanings

1

i-adjective

messy; shabby; scruffy; dirty; squalid

Describes a person's appearance, clothing, or living space as unkempt, grimy, and unpleasant. Often implies a lack of cleanliness and care.

彼かれはむさ苦くるしい格かっ好こうで面めん接せつに来きた。
He came to the interview in a scruffy outfit.

むさ苦くるしい部屋へやを掃そう除じする気きになれない。

I can't bring myself to clean this messy room.

Written forms

むさ苦くるしいUsage43%
Standard kanji-kana mixed spelling.
むさくるしいUsage57%
Kana-only spelling, common in casual writing.

Kanji

苦suffering, trial, worry

Similar words

汚きたない
汚い is a general word for 'dirty' or 'filthy', while むさ苦しい emphasizes a shabby, unkempt, and often grimy appearance, especially of people or their living conditions.
だらしない
だらしない focuses on sloppiness or lack of discipline in behavior or appearance, whereas むさ苦しい adds a sense of dirtiness and squalor.

Etymology

The prefix むさ- is associated with dirtiness or filth (as in むさぼる), and 苦しい means 'painful' or 'distressing', together conveying an unpleasant, grimy state. The exact derivation is uncertain.