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涙ぐましい (なみだぐましい) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word Freq. Frequency Top 100,000 Conjugation Meanings 1
i-adjective
touching ; moving ; heart-wrenching
Describes someone's effort, dedication, or situation that is so earnest or pitiable it brings tears to one's eyes. Often used for admirable but painful struggles.
で
の
ボランティア
の
涙なみだ
ぐましい
活かつ
動どう
に
心こころ
を
打う
た
れ
た
。
I was moved by the volunteers' heart-wrenching work in the disaster area.
Similar words 感かん 動どう 的てき 感動的 is a more general 'moving' or 'impressive', while 涙ぐましい specifically implies a tear-jerking, often painful earnestness.
痛いた 々いた しい 痛々しい focuses on a pitiful or painful sight, whereas 涙ぐましい emphasizes the emotional response of being moved to tears by someone's effort.
Etymology Compound of 涙 (なみだ, 'tears') + ぐましい, a suffix derived from くましい (from classical くまし, meaning 'to be full of' or 'to be deeply imbued with'). Literally 'tear-filled', describing something that moves one to tears.
