放ほう縦じゅう

also: ほうしょう

ほ

う

じゅ

う

Meanings

self-indulgence; licentiousness; dissolution

Describes unrestrained, self-indulgent behavior, often with a negative moral connotation. Used as a noun or adjectival noun (放縦な).

彼かれの放ほう縦じゅうな生せい活かつは、ついに身みを滅ほろぼした。
His self-indulgent lifestyle finally ruined him.
放ほう縦じゅうにふける若わか者ものが増ふえていると嘆なげく声こえもある。
Some lament that more young people are indulging in licentiousness.

See all 5 example sentences ›

Kanji

放set free, release, fire
縦vertical, length, height

Related words

放ほう蕩とう
放蕩 emphasizes debauchery and dissipation, often involving drinking and pleasure-seeking, while 放縦 is broader, covering any lack of self-restraint.
自じ堕だ落らく
自堕落 is more colloquial and describes a slovenly, lazy self-indulgence, whereas 放縦 is a formal, literary term.

Opposites

節せつ度ど
放縦 means unrestrained self-indulgence with no regard for limits, the opposite of 節度's sense of proper restraint.

Written forms

放縦Usage95%
- ほうじゅう
  Standard kanji form; the reading ほうじゅう is more common than ほうしょう.
- ほうしょう
  Rare reading; ほうじゅう is the usual reading.
ほうしょうUsage5%

Etymology

Compound of 放 (release, let go) and 縦 (vertical, unrestrained). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination conveys the idea of letting oneself go freely.