astringency; tartness
Refers to the dry, puckering taste sensation, as in unripe persimmons or strong tea.
This persimmon is too astringent to eat.
Some people dislike the astringency of green tea.
austere elegance; refined simplicity; subdued taste
Describes a restrained, understated aesthetic quality in art, design, or personal style, often associated with wabi-sabi.
His work has a distinctive austere elegance.
The subdued colors of this kimono are lovely.
Standard kanji spelling for both the taste and aesthetic senses.
Alternate kanji spelling; 味 explicitly suggests 'taste', but both forms are used for the aesthetic sense as well.
Derived from the adjective 渋い (shibui) with the nominalizing suffix み, indicating the quality or degree of astringency or austere elegance.