狂い
Meanings
Refers to mental derangement or a state of being crazy. Can be used literally or figuratively.
There is a touch of madness in his behavior.
That's sheer madness.
irregularity; deviation; disorder
Used for something being out of order, not functioning correctly, or deviating from the norm. Common in mechanical or systematic contexts.
The clock has developed an irregularity.
A deviation occurred in the plan.
Used as a suffix (often voiced to ぐるい) to indicate an obsessive enthusiast or fanatic. The standalone noun use is rare.
He is a fishing fanatic.
That person is a game nut, playing until late every night.
Usage patterns
- 〈物〉に狂いが生じるfor a deviation/malfunction to occur in something
This clock has developed a slight inaccuracy.
- 〈物〉の狂いを直すto fix the irregularity/malfunction of something
I had the irregularity in the engine fixed.
- 〈事〉狂いsomeone obsessed/crazy about something
He's a workaholic; he's even at the office on his days off.
Expressions
- 寸分の狂いもないperfectly accurate; flawless; without the slightest deviation