うっとうしい

• 読み: うっとうしい
• ローマ字: uttōshii
• 発音: /ɯt.toː.ɕiː/

意味

Annoying, irritating, or oppressive — used about both people and dreary weather.

うっとうしい describes something that weighs on you with persistent irritation. It applies to a person who will not stop talking, hair falling in your face, or the heavy, humid atmosphere of the rainy season. Unlike うざい (which is more directly aggressive), うっとうしい has a 'smothering' quality — the annoyance closes in on you rather than hitting you head-on. It is a versatile word that bridges physical discomfort and emotional irritation.

例文

1. 前髪がうっとうしいから切りたい。
2. あの人話長くてうっとうしいんだよね。
3. 梅雨の時期はじめじめしてうっとうしい天気が続く。

使い方ガイド

場面: complaints, weather, annoying people, everyday frustration

トーン: irritated, fed up, smothered

正しい言い方

• この湿気うっとうしいな。 (This humidity is so oppressive.)
• うっとうしいからちょっと静かにして。 (You're annoying me — be quiet for a bit.)

避ける言い方

• 面と向かって「うっとうしい」は傷つける (Saying 'you're annoying' to someone's face is hurtful — use it when venting to friends)

よくある間違い

• Confusing うっとうしい with うざい — うっとうしい is more about persistent, smothering irritation while うざい is a more blunt, aggressive 'annoying'

起源と歴史

Written 鬱陶しい, combining 鬱 (gloom/depression) with 陶 (pottery, but here used phonetically). The word has been part of standard Japanese for centuries, originally describing oppressive weather before expanding to cover annoying people and situations in casual speech.

文化的背景

時代: Traditional casual speech, centuries of use

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal

地域メモ: Especially common during 梅雨 (tsuyu, rainy season) when the weather itself is described as うっとうしい. In Kansai, the clipped form うっとい is sometimes heard.