蹉さ跎だ

Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

noun, adverb taking the 'to' particle, taru-adjective

rare termformal or literary

Formal literary noun for a setback or obstacle. Also used adverbially with と or as a taru-adjective. Rare in modern Japanese.

事じ業ぎょうの蹉さ跎だを乗のり越こえる。
Overcome a setback in one's business.

noun, adverb taking the 'to' particle, taru-adjective

adversity; misfortune; hardship; decline

rare termformal or literary

Formal literary noun for adversity or decline. Also used adverbially with と or as a taru-adjective. Rare in modern Japanese.

人じん生せいの蹉さ跎だに耐たえる。
Endure the hardships of life.

See all 6 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

蹉さ跎だとして〈動どう詞し〉to pass/proceed in a state of setback or decline
彼かれの晩ばん年ねんは蹉さ跎だとして過すぎ去さった。
His later years slipped away in decline and misfortune.
蹉さ跎だたる〈事こと〉a setback-ridden, ill-fated ~
蹉さ跎だたる人じん生せいを送おくった文ぶん人じんであった。
He was a man of letters who lived a life beset by setbacks.

Kanji

蹉stumble
跎slip, stumble, falter

Related words

挫ざ折せつ sense 1
挫折 is the common everyday word for a setback or frustration, while 蹉跎 is a rare, literary synonym with the same meaning.
困こん難なんN3sense 2
困難 is the standard word for hardship or difficulty, whereas 蹉跎 is a rare, formal literary word for adversity or decline.
不ふ遇ぐう sense 2
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.

Written forms

蹉さ跎だUsage27%
Rare kanji spelling; the word itself is a formal literary term.
さだUsage73%
蹉さだ
Alternate kanji spelling with だ in kana; also rare.

Etymology

The exact derivation is uncertain; the kanji 蹉 and 跎 both relate to stumbling or slipping, suggesting a figurative extension to setbacks and adversity.