heavy feeling on the chest; oppressive sensation
Describes a physical or emotional sensation of something weighing on one's chest, often from worry or illness.
I have a heavy feeling in my chest from worry.
After telling my mother the truth, I felt a weight lifted off my chest.
I feel a lump in my stomach from overeating.
obstacle; hindrance; impediment
Only when written 支え / 閊え
Refers to something that blocks progress or causes difficulty; often used in abstract contexts.
The obstacle at work has been removed, and I can finally move forward.
There was a major hindrance in the negotiations.
I ate too much and felt a heavy tightness in my chest.
障害 is a broad, common term for an obstacle, barrier, or disability, whereas つかえ is narrower and more colloquial, focusing on something blocking progress or a stuck feeling.
障り refers to a hindrance or harm (especially to health) caused by something, while つかえ more specifically describes a blockage or oppressive feeling.
支え read as ささえ means 'support' or 'prop', a completely different word from 支え read as つかえ, which means an oppressive feeling or an obstacle.
Kana spelling is standard; the word is usually written in kana.
Rare kanji form for the 'load on one's chest' sense.
Search-only kanji form; not used in normal writing.
Kanji form used for the 'obstacle' sense; less common than kana.
Rarely used kanji form for the 'obstacle' sense.
Derived from the verb つかえる (to be blocked). The kanji forms are ateji; the word is native Japanese.