やけっぱち

や

け

っ

ぱ

ち

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

noun, na-adjective, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

complete desperation; reckless abandon

usually written using kana alonecolloquial

Colloquial noun/adjectival noun describing a state of having given up and acting recklessly or desperately, often with a self-destructive or defiant tone. Related to やけ (desperation).

Kanji

自oneself
棄abandon, throw away, discard

Related words

やけ
やけ is the base noun meaning 'desperation' or 'despair'; やけっぱち is a more emphatic, colloquial form implying complete abandonment of restraint.
自じ暴ぼう自じ棄き
自暴自棄 is a more formal, four-character compound with a similar meaning of 'desperation and self-abandonment', while やけっぱち is casual and often used in spoken language.

Written forms

やけっぱちUsage89%
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms are rare or search-only.
自棄やけっぱちUsage7%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; 自棄 is an ateji-like spelling for やけ.
ヤケッパチUsage4%

Etymology

Derived from やけ (desperation) with the emphatic suffix っぱち. The exact origin of っぱち is uncertain, but it adds a colloquial, intensified nuance.