also: ざんまい
noun
samadhi; deep meditative concentration
Only with reading さんまい
Buddhist term for a state of intense, single-pointed concentration achieved through meditation. Read さんまい.
from Sanskrit
僧侶は座禅によって三昧の境地に入った。
The monk entered a state of samadhi through zazen meditation.
noun, used as a suffix
being absorbed in; indulging in; doing to one's heart's content
Noun suffix, usually read ざんまい. Attaches to nouns or verb stems to express being completely immersed in an activity, often with a sense of indulgence or doing something freely.
休日は読書三昧で過ごした。
I spent the holiday absorbed in reading.
温泉旅行で美食三昧を楽しんだ。
On the hot spring trip, we indulged in gourmet food to our heart's content.
noun, used as a suffix
Noun suffix, usually read ざんまい. Indicates a tendency or habit, often with a negative nuance. Less common than sense 2.
彼は怠け三昧で、仕事がなかなか進まない。
He is prone to laziness, so work doesn't progress easily.