also: れいはん · ひえめし · つめためし
noun
cold rice; leftover rice
Literally rice that has cooled down, often implying leftovers. Can be used neutrally or with a nuance of something unappealing.
冷や飯を温めて食べた。
I warmed up the cold rice and ate it.
冷や飯に味噌汁をかけると美味しい。
Pouring miso soup over cold rice is delicious.
noun
hanger-on; dependent; freeloader
Only with reading ひやめし
Abbreviation of 冷や飯食い. Refers to someone who lives off others, often with a negative connotation of being a burden or unwanted guest. Restricted to reading ひやめし.
See also: 冷や飯食い (ひやめしくい)
彼は親戚の家で冷や飯を食っている。
He's freeloading at his relatives' house.
noun
disgraced former actor; washed-up performer
Only with reading ひやめし
Specific to the entertainment world: an actor or performer who has fallen from grace and is no longer in demand. Restricted to reading ひやめし.
あの元スターも今では冷や飯だ。
That former star is now a has-been.
Alternate kanji spelling for ひやめし. Less common than 冷や飯 but still encountered.
Sino-Japanese reading. Rarely used; mainly found in formal or literary contexts.
Alternate native reading. Uncommon; ひやめし is the standard.
Rare reading. Not in common use.
Compound of 冷や (hiya, 'cold') + 飯 (meshi, 'rice'). The idiomatic senses derive from the image of eating cold, leftover rice as a sign of being an unwelcome dependent or a fallen figure.