もろい

も

ろ

い

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

もろい · i-adjective

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	もろい	もろくない
Polite	もろいです	もろくないですalso もろくありません
Past polite	もろかったです	もろくなかったですalso もろくありませんでした
Past	もろかった	もろくなかった
Te-form	もろくて	もろくなくて
Adverbial	もろく
Conditional	もろければ	もろくなければ
Tara conditional	もろかったら	もろくなかったら

Meanings

i-adjective

brittle; fragile; weak

usually written using kana alone

Describes something that breaks, crumbles, collapses, or gives way easily; can be physical or extended to weak defenses, systems, plans, etc.

古ふるい壁かべはもろくて、少すこし触さわっただけで崩くずれた。
The old wall was so brittle that it crumbled with just a touch.
このチームは守まもりがもろい。
This team is weak defensively.

i-adjective

tender-hearted; sentimental; easily moved

usually written using kana alone

Used for a person who is emotionally soft or easily affected; common in expressions such as 涙もろい and 情にもろい.

祖そ父ふは涙なみだもろくて、昔むかしの話はなしをするとすぐ泣なく。
My grandfather is sentimental and quickly cries when he talks about the old days.
彼かれは情じょうにもろいところがある。
He has a soft spot for emotional appeals.

See all 41 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉がもろいfor a thing to be brittle/fragile
このガラスは薄うすくてもろい。
This glass is thin and fragile.
情じょうにもろいto be easily moved by sympathy or compassion
祖そ母ぼは情じょうにもろくて、すぐに人ひとを助たすけてしまう。
My grandmother is soft-hearted and always ends up helping people.
〈人ひと〉の涙なみだにもろいto be easily moved by someone's tears
彼かれは子こ供どもの涙なみだにもろい。
He's a soft touch when it comes to a child's tears.

Kanji

脆brittle, fragile, easy to beat

Related words· 7

脆ぜい弱じゃく sense 1
脆弱 is a formal, often technical word for being weak or fragile, while 脆い is the everyday adjective used for things or systems that break or give way easily.
感かん傷しょう的てき sense 2
感傷的 describes a sentimental mood or state, while 脆い (in its emotional sense) describes a person's tendency to be easily moved to tears or sympathy.
弱よわいN5sense 1
弱い is a general word for weakness of any kind, while 脆い specifically suggests something that gives way or breaks easily under pressure.
涙なみだもろい sense 2
涙もろい is a fixed compound meaning easily moved to tears, a common specific case of the emotional sense of 脆い.

Show 3 more

か弱よわいN1
脆い describes something that breaks or gives way easily (physically fragile), while か弱い describes a person or creature who seems delicate and in need of protection.
やわ
脆い emphasizes brittleness and a tendency to break, while やわ focuses more on overall softness or lack of solid construction.
儚はかないN1
脆い means physically or emotionally fragile and easily broken, while 儚い carries a poetic sense of something passing away quickly.

Opposites

丈じょう夫ぶN4sense 1
丈夫 describes something sturdy and durable, the opposite of 脆い things that break or give way easily.
頑がん丈じょうN2sense 1
頑丈 describes something solidly built and hard to break, contrasting with 脆い things that crumble or fail easily.
しぶといN1
もろい means fragile or easily broken, the opposite of しぶとい's tough, hard-to-defeat quality.

Don't confuse with

儚はかないN1sense 1
儚い emphasizes fleetingness or transience (like a dream or a short life), while 脆い emphasizes physical or structural fragility, though both can describe delicate things.

Word family

もろくも
easily; quickly; without resistance

Written forms

もろいUsage63%
It is usually written in kana; this is the safest everyday spelling.
脆もろいUsage37%
Standard kanji spelling, especially useful in careful writing, but Kana is usually used.

Etymology

The historical derivation is uncertain. 脆 is the conventional kanji associated with brittleness or fragility, while the word is commonly written in kana.