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裏目 (うらめ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

裏うら目め

う

ら

め

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

noun

reverse side; back

Literal meaning: the reverse or back side of something. Less common than the idiomatic sense.

カードの裏うら目めには何なにも書かかれていなかった。
Nothing was written on the back of the card.

2

noun

opposite of the expected; backfire

Almost always used in the phrase 裏目に出る, meaning a plan or action produces the opposite result from what was intended.

See also: 裏目に出る

Kanji

裏back, amidst, in
目eye, class, look

Similar words

表おもて目め
The knit stitch or the front side of knitting; the opposite of 裏目 in knitting contexts.
逆ぎゃく効こう果か
Means 'opposite effect' or 'counterproductive'; similar to the idiomatic 裏目, but 逆効果 is a more direct and common word for unintended negative results.

Etymology

Compound of 裏 (ura, 'back, reverse') and 目 (me, 'eye, stitch, grain'). The knitting sense comes from the appearance of the purl stitch as the reverse side of the fabric.

彼かれの親しん切せつが裏うら目めに出でて、相あい手てを怒おこらせてしまった。
His kindness backfired and ended up making the other person angry.
値ね下さげ戦せん略りゃくが裏うら目めに出でて、かえって売うり上あげが落おちた。
The price-cut strategy backfired, and sales actually dropped.

3

noun

purl stitch

Knitting term; the reverse side of a knitted fabric, or the purl stitch itself.

このセーターは裏うら目めが表おもてに出でているデザインだ。
This sweater has a design where the purl side is on the outside.