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支離滅裂 (しりめつれつ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
na-adjective, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
incoherent ; inconsistent ; illogical ; disorderly ; confused ; nonsensical
yojijukugo (four-character idiom)
Describes speech, writing, arguments, or behavior that is fragmented, contradictory, and lacking logical consistency. Often used for rambling or disjointed statements.
めい
は
支し
離り
滅めつ
裂れつ
で
、
何なに
を
言い
い
たい
の
か
さっぱり
わから
なかっ
た
。
His explanation was incoherent, and I had no idea what he was trying to say.
Kanji 支 branch, support, sustain 離 detach, separation, disjoin 滅 destroy, ruin, overthrow Similar words 矛む 盾じゅん 矛盾 means logical contradiction between two statements or facts, while 支離滅裂 emphasizes overall incoherence and lack of structure.
辻つじ 褄つま が 合あ わない 辻褄が合わない means that the details don't add up or are inconsistent, whereas 支離滅裂 describes a more chaotic, disjointed quality.
Etymology A yojijukugo composed of four kanji: 支 (branch, support), 離 (separate), 滅 (destroy), and 裂 (split). Together they convey the idea of something being torn apart and destroyed, hence incoherent or disjointed. The exact historical origin is uncertain, but it is a classical Chinese-derived compound.
