憂うさ

う

さ

Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

gloom; melancholy; pent-up frustration

Refers to a heavy, oppressive feeling of sadness or worry, often with a sense of accumulated frustration. Frequently used in the phrase 憂さ晴らし (distraction from gloom).

憂うさを晴はらすためにカラオケに行いった。
I went to karaoke to shake off my gloom.
彼かれは酒さけで憂うさをまぎらわそうとした。
He tried to drown his sorrows in alcohol.

See all 15 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

憂うさを紛まぎらすto distract oneself from one's gloom
お酒さけを飲のんで憂うさを紛まぎらした。
I drank alcohol to take my mind off my gloom.
憂うさが募つのるfor one's gloom to build up or intensify
一人ひとり暮ぐらしを始はじめてから憂うさが募つのるようになった。
Since I started living alone, my gloom has been building up.

Expressions

憂うさを晴はらすblow off steam; forget one's troubles by doing something fun

Kanji

憂melancholy, grieve, lament

Related words

憂ゆう鬱うつN2
憂鬱 is a more formal or clinical word for depression/melancholy, while 憂さ is a more everyday, emotional word for gloom or pent-up frustration.
憂うれい
憂い is a literary word for sorrow or grief over a specific worry, whereas 憂さ describes a more diffuse, accumulated feeling of gloom.
鬱うっ憤ぷん
鬱憤 emphasizes pent-up anger or resentment that wants release, while 憂さ leans more toward sadness or melancholy alongside frustration.

Don't confuse with

憂うき目め
憂き目 refers to a specific bitter or painful experience one has suffered, while 憂さ is a general feeling of gloom or melancholy, not tied to one event.

Word family

憂うさ晴ばらし
diversion from worries; distraction; amusement

Written forms

憂うさUsage12%
Standard kanji spelling; commonly used in expressions like 憂さ晴らし.
うさUsage88%
Kana spelling is sometimes used, especially in casual writing or when the kanji is considered difficult.

Etymology

Derived from the classical adjective 憂し (ushi, 'sad, gloomy'), with the nominalizing suffix さ. The exact historical development is uncertain.