暗あん鬱うつ

あ

ん

う

つ

Meanings

noun, na-adjective

gloom; melancholy

Describes a dark, heavy, depressed atmosphere or state of mind. Often used in literary or formal contexts.

彼かれの表ひょう情じょうには暗あん鬱うつな影かげが差さしていた。
A gloomy shadow fell over his expression.
この小しょう説せつは都と会かいの暗あん鬱うつな一いち面めんを描えがいている。
This novel depicts a gloomy side of the city.

Kanji

暗darkness, disappear, shade
鬱gloom, depression, melancholy
欝gloom, depression, melancholy

Related words

憂ゆう鬱うつ
憂鬱 is more common and broadly used for depression or melancholy, while 暗鬱 emphasizes a dark, oppressive gloom, often in literary descriptions.
陰いん鬱うつ
陰鬱 also means gloom, but often implies a shadowy, somber atmosphere; 暗鬱 leans more toward a heavy, dark depression.

Written forms

暗あん鬱うつUsage100%
Standard kanji spelling.
暗あん欝うつ
Variant using the simplified form of 鬱.
暗あんうつ
Kana-mixed spelling; the second kanji is replaced by hiragana for readability.

Etymology

Compound of 暗 (dark) and 鬱 (depression, gloom). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination directly conveys a sense of dark melancholy.