noun, adverb taking the 'to' particle, taru-adjective
Formal literary noun for a setback or obstacle. Also used adverbially with と or as a taru-adjective. Rare in modern Japanese.
Overcome a setback in one's business.
noun, adverb taking the 'to' particle, taru-adjective
adversity; misfortune; hardship; decline
Formal literary noun for adversity or decline. Also used adverbially with と or as a taru-adjective. Rare in modern Japanese.
His later years slipped away in decline and misfortune.
Endure the hardships of life.
He was a man of letters who lived a life beset by setbacks.
困難 is the standard word for hardship or difficulty, whereas 蹉跎 is a rare, formal literary word for adversity or decline.
不遇 describes being unappreciated or having bad luck in one's career, a milder everyday counterpart to the literary 蹉跎's sense of decline or misfortune.
Rare kanji spelling; the word itself is a formal literary term.
Alternate kanji spelling with だ in kana; also rare.
The exact derivation is uncertain; the kanji 蹉 and 跎 both relate to stumbling or slipping, suggesting a figurative extension to setbacks and adversity.