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Words Kanji Guides About

憂い (うれい) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

憂うれい

う

れ

い

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

noun

sorrow; grief; anguish

Deep emotional pain, sadness, or distress; often literary or formal. 愁い is especially associated with this nuance.

彼かれの顔かおには深ふかい憂うれいの色いろが浮うかんでいた。
A look of deep sorrow was on his face.
愁うれいを帯お

Written forms

憂うれいUsage81%
Standard kanji for both sorrow and anxiety; high-frequency news and spec form.
愁うれいUsage16%
Especially associated with sorrow, grief, or melancholy.
うれいUsage3%
患うれい
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.

び

た

旋せん

律りつ

が

心こころ

に

しみ

た

。

The melody tinged with melancholy touched my heart.

2

noun

anxiety; worry; concern

Worry about the future, unease, or misgivings; 憂い is the typical kanji for this sense.

将しょう来らいへの憂うれいが募つのる。
Anxiety about the future grows.
彼かれは国くにの行ゆく末すえを憂うれいている。
He is worried about the future of the country.

Kanji

憂melancholy, grieve, lament
愁distress, grieve, lament
患afflicted, disease, suffer from

Similar words

心しん配ぱい
心配 is the everyday word for worry or concern. 憂い is more literary and often implies a deeper, more lingering anxiety or sorrow.
悲かなしみ
悲しみ is the common word for sadness. 憂い suggests a heavier, more profound sorrow, often with a literary or classical feel.

Etymology

Derived from the verb 憂う (うれう), meaning to worry or grieve. The kanji 憂, 愁, and 患 share overlapping meanings related to worry, sorrow, and illness, but 憂い is the most general written form.