めまぐるしい

め

ま

ぐ

る

し

い

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

めまぐるしい · i-adjective

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	めまぐるしい	めまぐるしくない
Polite	めまぐるしいです	めまぐるしくないですalso めまぐるしくありません
Past polite	めまぐるしかったです	めまぐるしくなかったですalso めまぐるしくありませんでした
Past	めまぐるしかった	めまぐるしくなかった
Te-form	めまぐるしくて	めまぐるしくなくて
Adverbial	めまぐるしく
Conditional	めまぐるしければ	めまぐるしくなければ
Tara conditional	めまぐるしかったら	めまぐるしくなかったら

Meanings

i-adjective

dizzyingly fast; hectic; bewilderingly rapid

usually written using kana alone

Describes a situation, change, or pace so fast or intense that it feels dizzying or overwhelming. Often used for busy schedules, rapid changes, or bustling environments.

めまぐるしい変へん化かについていけない。
I can't keep up with the dizzying changes.
都と会かいのめまぐるしい生せい活かつに疲つかれた。
I'm tired of the hectic city life.

See all 9 example sentences ›

Kanji

目eye, class, look
紛distract, be mistaken for, go astray

Related words

慌あわただしい
慌ただしい emphasizes busyness and rush, often with a sense of flurry or haste, while めまぐるしい focuses on the dizzying, rapid pace of change or activity.
目めまいがする
目まいがする means to feel dizzy physically, whereas めまぐるしい describes a situation that feels metaphorically dizzying.

Written forms

めまぐるしいUsage55%
Usually written in kana; the kanji form 目まぐるしい is also common in newspapers and formal writing.
目めまぐるしいUsage45%
Common kanji spelling, especially in news and formal contexts.
目紛めまぐるしい
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; 紛 is not a jōyō reading for this word.

Etymology

Compound of 目 (me, 'eye') + まぐるしい (magurushii), an old adjective related to まぐる (maguru, 'to turn around, to be confused'). The exact derivation of まぐるしい is uncertain, but the word conveys a sense of visual or mental spinning.