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気後れ (きおくれ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Freq. Frequency Top 100,000 Conjugation Meanings 1
noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb
lose one's nerve ; feel timid ; feel awkward ; be daunted
Describes the feeling of being overwhelmed or intimidated by a person, situation, or task, leading to hesitation or loss of confidence. Often used when one feels outclassed or pressured.
経けい 験けん 豊ほう 富ふ な 先せん 輩ぱい を 前まえ に し て 気き 後おく れ する 必ひつ 要よう は ない 。
There's no need to feel daunted in front of an experienced senior colleague.
Written forms 気き 後おく れ Usage 71%
Standard kanji spelling; the most common written form.
気き おくれ Usage 29%
search-only kanji form
Search-only form; learners may encounter it in some dictionaries or input methods, but it is not a standard spelling.
Similar words 臆おく する 臆する is a more formal, literary verb for being timid or shrinking back, while 気後れ is a common noun/suru-verb for feeling intimidated in social or performance situations.
緊きん 張ちょう 緊張 is general nervousness or tension, whereas 気後れ specifically implies feeling overwhelmed or outclassed by someone or something, leading to hesitation.
Etymology Compound of 気 (ki, 'spirit, mind') and 後れ (okure, 'lagging behind'), literally 'spirit falling behind'. The kanji 後れ is the nominalized form of 後れる (okureru, 'to fall behind').
