矜きょう持じ

also: きんじ

きょ

う

じ

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

A somewhat formal or literary term for a sense of personal pride and dignity; often used in contexts of maintaining one's honor or self-worth.

彼かれは自じ分ぶんの仕し事ごとに矜きょう持じを持もっている。
He takes pride in his work.
彼かの女じょはどんな状じょう況きょうでも矜きょう持じを失うしなわなかった。
She never lost her dignity no matter the situation.

Kanji

矜pride, respect
持hold, have
恃depend on

Related words

誇ほこり
誇り is the common, everyday word for pride. 矜持 is more formal and literary, emphasizing inner dignity and self-respect.
自じ尊そん心しん
自尊心 means self-esteem or self-respect in a psychological sense. 矜持 carries a more dignified, almost noble connotation.

Written forms

矜持Usage86%
- きょうじ
  Standard kanji spelling; the reading きょうじ is the most common.
- きんじ
  Alternate reading; less common than きょうじ.
矜恃Usage14%
- きょうじ
  Variant kanji form; less common than 矜持.
- きんじ
  Rare variant with alternate reading.
きんじ

Etymology

The kanji 矜 means 'pride' or 'self-respect', and 持 means 'to hold'. The compound literally means 'holding pride'. The alternate kanji 恃 also means 'to rely on', giving a similar nuance. The reading きょうじ is the standard on'yomi; きんじ is an alternative reading.