横おう柄へい

お

う

へ

い

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

Describes a person, attitude, or manner that is overbearing and condescending. Often used for someone who acts superior or talks down to others.

Related words

傲ごう慢まん

傲慢 describes a deep-seated, formal sense of pride and arrogance, while 横柄 focuses on outwardly overbearing, insolent behavior criticized in everyday speech.

高こう慢まん

高慢 conveys arrogance mixed with vanity or conceit, whereas 横柄 emphasizes rude, condescending treatment of other people.

尊そん大だい

尊大 describes a pompous, self-important manner of carrying oneself, while 横柄 more specifically describes insolent behavior directed at others.

不ふ遜そん

不遜 is a literary, formal word for insolence or lack of humility, while 横柄 is the everyday word used to criticize someone's rude attitude.

無ぶ礼れいN1

横柄 describes an arrogant, high-handed manner, while 無礼 is the broader term for any disrespectful or discourteous act.

Don't confuse with

横おう暴ぼう

横暴 describes tyrannical or violent abuse of power, while 横柄 describes a merely arrogant, condescending attitude without necessarily abusing power.

横おう着ちゃくN1

横柄 looks similar and shares the kanji 横 but means arrogant or high-handed toward others, not lazy or corner-cutting like 横着.

大おお柄がらN1

横柄 (arrogant, haughty attitude) shares the kanji 柄 and sounds similar but has nothing to do with physical size, unlike 大柄.

Etymology

The kanji 横 (side, horizontal) and 柄 (handle, pattern) combine to suggest a sideways, off-center bearing, i.e., an attitude that is not straight or respectful. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the compound has been used since at least the Edo period to describe overbearing behavior.

Meanings

Usage patterns