お世せ辞じ

お

せ

じ

Meanings

Polite noun for flattering or complimentary remarks, often insincere or socially expected. Commonly used in phrases like お世辞を言う (to pay a compliment/flatter) and お世辞にも～ない (by no stretch of the imagination).

彼かの女じょは上じょう司しにお世せ辞じを言いうのが上手じょうずだ。
She is good at flattering her boss.
お世せ辞じにも美味おいしいとは言いえない料りょう理りだった。
It was a dish that, even with the best will in the world, couldn't be called delicious.

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Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉にお世せ辞じを言いうto flatter someone
彼かれは上じょう司しにお世せ辞じを言いって気きに入いられようとした。
He tried to get in his boss's good graces by flattering him.
お世せ辞じを並ならべるto reel off flattery/compliments
彼かの女じょはお世せ辞じを並ならべて機き嫌げんを取とった。
She reeled off compliments to keep him in a good mood.
お世せ辞じがうまいto be skilled at flattering
彼かれはお世せ辞じがうまくて、誰だれにでも好すかれる。
He's good at flattering people, so everyone likes him.

Expressions

お世せ辞じを言いうflatter; pay empty compliments
お世せ辞じにもby any standard; (not) even as flattery
お世せ辞じたらたらsmarmy; unctuous; insincerely flattering

Kanji

世generation, world, society
辞resign, word, term

Related words· 9

褒ほめ言こと葉ば
褒め言葉 is a straightforward compliment or word of praise, while お世辞 implies flattery that may be insincere or socially obligatory.
おべっか
おべっか is a colloquial, clearly negative term for blatant flattery or apple-polishing, whereas お世辞 can be more neutral and socially expected.
追つい従しょう
追従 is a more formal, literary word for sycophantic flattery, while お世辞 is the everyday word covering both mild and insincere compliments.
リップサービス
お世辞 is a native Japanese word for flattery that carries a sense of polite social obligation, while リップサービス is a loanword that stresses insincerity or playful exaggeration.

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甘かん言げん
お世辞 is polite social flattery that is often harmless, while 甘言 is calculated, manipulative sweet talk meant to deceive.
甘あま口くちN1
お世辞 is the standard word for flattery or a compliment said to please someone, while 甘口 (in this sense) describes speech that is sickly-sweet or ingratiating.
阿あ諛ゆ
お世辞 is the common, everyday word for flattery or compliments in social situations, while 阿諛 is a formal, literary term for insincere or excessive flattery.
口くち先さきN1
お世辞 specifically means flattery or compliments meant to please, whereas 口先 broadly refers to any insincere or empty talk, not necessarily complimentary.
媚こびる
お世辞 is a noun for a flattering compliment that may be harmless, whereas 媚びる is a verb describing fawning behavior usually driven by self-interest.

Politeness

世せ辞じplainN1
お世辞 is the polite, everyday form almost always used in speech, while 世辞 alone sounds abrupt or literary and is rarely used by itself.

Etymology

Compound of honorific prefix お (o) and 世辞 (seji), where 世辞 originally meant 'words that suit the world' or 'socially pleasing words'. The exact derivation of 世辞 is uncertain, but it is conventionally associated with flattery and polite compliments.