低てい徊かい趣しゅ味み

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Meanings

noun

aesthetic detachment; enjoying nature and art over worldly affairs

yojijukugo (four-character idiom)

A literary yojijukugo describing a refined, somewhat reclusive attitude that rejects mundane concerns in favor of appreciating nature and the arts. Often associated with the author Natsume Sōseki.

漱そう石せきの作さく品ひんには低てい徊かい趣しゅ味みが色いろ濃こく表あらわれている。
Sōseki's works strongly exhibit this aesthetic detachment.
彼かれの隠いん遁とん生せい活かつはまさに低てい徊かい趣しゅ味みそのものだ。
His reclusive life is exactly this kind of aesthetic detachment.

Kanji

低lower, short, humble
徊wandering
趣purport, gist, elegance
味flavor, taste
回-times, round, game

Related words

隠いん遁とん
隠遁 refers to physical seclusion or retreat from the world, while 低徊趣味 is more about a mental or aesthetic stance of detachment and refined enjoyment.
風ふう流りゅう
風流 is a broader term for elegance and refined taste, often in traditional arts, whereas 低徊趣味 specifically implies a rejection of worldly affairs.

Written forms

低てい徊かい趣しゅ味み
Standard kanji spelling for this yojijukugo.
低てい回かい趣しゅ味み
Alternate kanji form using 回 instead of 徊; both are used.

Etymology

A yojijukugo combining 低徊 (wandering, lingering) and 趣味 (taste, hobby). The exact origin is uncertain, but it was popularized by Natsume Sōseki to describe a literary and philosophical attitude.