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外れ (はずれ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word JLPT N1 Freq. Frequency Top 20,000 Meanings 1
noun
end ; edge ; outskirts
Only with reading はずれ
Refers to the far end, edge, or periphery of a place or area. Often used in compounds like 町外れ (outskirts of town) or 村外れ (edge of a village).
森もり の 外はず れ で 珍めずら しい 鳥とり を 見み つけ た 。
I found a rare bird at the edge of the forest.
2
noun
miss ; failure ; blank
Used for something that misses the mark, fails, or is a dud. Common in lottery (e.g., 宝くじの外れ) and game contexts. The katakana spelling ハズレ is frequent here.
Written forms 外はず れ Usage 22%
Standard kanji spelling for both senses.
はずれ Usage 57%
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing, especially when the intended sense is clear from context.
ハズレ Usage 22%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling often used for the 'miss' or 'failure' sense, especially in lottery or game contexts.
Similar words 端はし 端 is a more general word for 'edge' or 'end' of a physical object, while 外れ emphasizes the periphery or outskirts of a larger area.
失しっ 敗ぱい 失敗 is a general term for 'failure' or 'mistake', whereas 外れ specifically implies a miss or a blank, often in the context of draws or predictions.
Etymology Noun form of the verb 外れる (to come off, to miss), from 外 (outside) + れる (potential/spontaneous suffix). The 'outskirts' sense derives from the idea of being outside the center, while the 'miss' sense comes from the verb's meaning of deviating from a target.
