noun
discontent; heavy heart; emotional burden
Literary and idiomatic expression for a deep-seated discontent or emotional weight, often used in classical or poetic contexts. Rare in modern everyday speech.
彼の胸中には磊塊が渦巻いていた。
A heavy discontent swirled in his heart.
磊塊を抱えて生きるのは辛い。
It is painful to live with a heavy heart.
The exact derivation is uncertain. The kanji 磊 (many stones) and 塊 (lump/clod) together suggest a pile of rocks weighing on the heart, a metaphor for emotional burden. The word is rare and primarily literary.