sad face; anxious look
Describes a facial expression showing sadness, worry, or sorrow. Often used in literary or descriptive contexts.
He was looking out the window with a sad face.
I can't forget my mother's anxious look.
Standard kanji spelling; 憂い conveys sadness or worry.
Alternate kanji spelling; 愁い also means sorrow or grief.
Compound of 憂い (urei, 'sorrow, worry') and 顔 (kao, 'face'). The kanji 憂 and 愁 both convey sadness or grief.