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痛ましい (いたましい) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word JLPT N1 Freq. Frequency Top 50,000 Conjugation Meanings 1
i-adjective
pitiful ; heartbreaking ; tragic
Describes a situation or sight that evokes deep pity, sorrow, or a sense of tragedy. Often used for events like accidents, disasters, or the suffering of others.
痛いた
ましい
過か
去こ
を
知し
っ
て
、
涙なみだ
が
出で
た
。
I cried when I learned about her tragic past.
Written forms 痛いた ましい Usage 78%
Standard kanji spelling; the most common and recommended form.
いたましい Usage 18%
傷いた ましい Usage 4%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; 痛ましい is strongly preferred in modern writing.
Similar words 悲かな しい 悲しい is a general word for 'sad' and can describe personal feelings. 痛ましい is stronger and more objective, focusing on the pitiful or tragic nature of an external situation rather than one's own emotion.
哀あわ れ 哀れ can mean 'pity' or 'miserable', but often carries a nuance of contempt or looking down on someone. 痛ましい is more sympathetic and emotionally weighty.
Etymology Derived from the verb 痛む (いたむ, 'to hurt, feel pain') with the adjectival suffix しい, expressing a quality that causes emotional pain. The kanji 痛 conveys 'pain' or 'hurt', fitting the sense of something so sad it hurts.
