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持ち腐れ (もちぐされ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
noun
unused possession ; something going to waste
Refers to an item, skill, or resource that is owned but not utilized, often implying it is being wasted. Frequently used in the phrase 宝の持ち腐れ (a treasure going to waste).
買か
っ
た
が
、
ほとんど
使つか
わ
ず
持も
ち
腐ぐさ
れ
に
なっ
て
いる
。
I bought an expensive camera, but I hardly use it and it's just sitting there unused.
Written forms 持も ち 腐ぐさ れ Usage 98%
Standard kanji spelling; the word is commonly written in kanji.
もちぐされ Usage 2%
Similar words 無む 駄だ 無駄 means wastefulness or futility in general, while 持ち腐れ specifically refers to something owned that is not being used.
死し 蔵ぞう 死蔵 means hoarding or keeping something unused and hidden away, similar to 持ち腐れ but with a stronger nuance of deliberate storage.
Etymology Compound of 持ち (mochi, 'holding' or 'having') and 腐れ (kusare, 'rotting'). Literally 'holding and rotting', it describes something that is owned but left to decay or go to waste.
