しみじみ（と）感かんじるto feel something deeply and keenly
一人ひとりになって、初はじめて家か族ぞくのありがたさをしみじみと感かんじた。
Once I was on my own, I truly felt how much I appreciated my family.
しみじみ（と）思おもうto reflect deeply, to think with heartfelt feeling
写しゃ真しんを見みて、あの頃ころは幸しあわせだったとしみじみ思おもった。
Looking at the photo, I thought wistfully about how happy those days had been.
しみじみ（と）語かたるto speak quietly and earnestly about something
祖そ父ふは戦せん争そうの思おもい出でをしみじみと語かたってくれた。
My grandfather quietly and earnestly shared his memories of the war.
しみじみ（と）見みつめるto gaze intently and with feeling at something
彼かれは古ふるい手て紙がみをしみじみと見みつめていた。
He stared intently at the old letter, lost in thought.
しみじみ（と）味あじわうto savor or appreciate something deeply
旅たびの終おわりに、静しずかな景色けしきをしみじみと味あじわった。
At the end of the trip, I quietly savored the peaceful scenery.

Kanji

沁penetrate, soak in
染dye, color, paint

Related words· 6

つくづくN2sense 1
つくづく often expresses a realization reached after careful thought, sometimes with a rueful or resigned tone, while しみじみ centers on heartfelt emotional appreciation or quiet reflection.
しんみり sense 2
しんみり describes a subdued, somewhat sentimental or sad mood shared in a quiet moment, whereas しみじみ can also express positive, heartfelt appreciation and is used more broadly.
じっくりN2sense 1
じっくり emphasizes taking one's time to do something carefully or thoroughly, while しみじみ focuses on the depth of emotion felt rather than the pace of an action.
感かん慨がい深ぶかい sense 1
感慨深い is an adjective describing something as deeply moving or poignant, while しみじみ is an adverb describing the manner of feeling or acting with that same deep emotion.

Show 2 more

ひしひしN1
しみじみ describes a quiet, reflective emotional feeling, while ひしひし conveys a stronger, more pressing sense of feeling something acutely.
ほのぼの
しみじみ describes a quiet, deeply-felt emotion often tinged with reflection, while ほのぼの conveys a lighter, softly warm and heartwarming feeling.

Don't confuse with

じめじめN2
しみじみ sounds similar to じめじめ but means deeply and heartfeltly reflecting on something, not physical or moral dampness/gloom.

Written forms

しみじみUsage99%
Standard kana spelling; the word is usually written in kana.
シミジミUsage1%
沁しみ沁じみUsage<1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form using 沁 (permeate).
染しみ染じみ
rarely-used kanji form

Etymology

A mimetic word (擬態語) derived from the reduplication of the stem しみ, related to 染みる (to soak in, to permeate). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the form suggests a deep, penetrating quality.

Rare kanji form using 染 (dye/stain).

沁しみ沁じみ

rarely-used kanji form

Rare abbreviated kanji form.