heartrending; desperate; hopeless; full of grief
Set phrase describing a state of extreme emotional distress where one loses composure, often used in literary or dramatic contexts. Compare with 身も世もない (みもよもない), which is more common in modern speech.
See also: 身も世もない (みもよもない)
She broke down crying in a heartrending, desperate manner.
身も世もあらぬ悲しみに暮れる日々だった。
Those were days spent in hopeless, overwhelming grief.
Standard kanji-kana mixed spelling for this set phrase.
Alternate spelling using the kanji 在 for あらぬ; less common.
Literally 'body and world are not', an idiomatic expression conveying that one's self and surroundings feel as if they do not exist due to overwhelming emotion. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.