悔くやし紛まぎれ

く

や

し

ま

ぎ

れ

Meanings

1

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

spite; frustration; vexation

Describes an action or remark done out of frustration or spite, often when one cannot accept a loss or failure. Frequently used in the phrase 悔し紛れに.

彼かれは試し合あいに負まけて、悔くやし紛まぎれにラケットを投なげつけた。

He lost the match and, out of frustration, threw his racket.

悔くやし紛まぎれの言こと葉ばを言いってしまった。

I ended up saying something out of spite.

Kanji

悔repent, regret
紛distract, be mistaken for, go astray

Related words

悔くやしい
悔しい is the adjective meaning 'frustrating' or 'regrettable'; 悔し紛れ is the noun/adjectival noun describing an act driven by that feeling.
腹はらいせ
腹いせ also means acting out of spite or resentment, but often implies retaliation or venting anger, while 悔し紛れ emphasizes frustration from a personal setback.

Written forms

悔くやし紛まぎれUsage57%
Standard kanji spelling.
悔くやしまぎれUsage43%
Mixed kanji-kana spelling; also seen in practice.

Etymology

Compound of 悔し (stem of 悔しい, 'frustrating') and 紛れ (from 紛れる, 'to be mixed up with' or 'to be diverted'), literally 'mixed with frustration'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word has been used since at least the Edo period.