いじらしい

• 読み: いじらしい
• ローマ字: ijirashii
• 発音: /i.dʑi.ɾa.ɕiː/

意味

Touching; endearing; pitiable; plucky despite hardship. Describes someone whose innocent struggle is deeply moving to the observer.

An i-adjective expressing a blend of pity and tender affection — typically used for children or vulnerable people who try their very hardest despite adversity, or who endure suffering without complaint. The emotion it evokes is a lump in the throat: both heartwarming and heartbreaking simultaneously. It cannot usually be translated with a single English word.

例文

1. 母の分まで頑張ると言った子どものいじらしさに、涙が止まらなかった。
2. 病気でもいじらしく微笑む彼女を見ていると、胸が痛くなる。
3. 小さな手で一生懸命草むしりをする姿がいじらしくて、声をかけられなかった。

使い方ガイド

場面: children, literature, relationships, compassion

トーン: tender

起源と歴史

Possibly derived from いじる (to handle with delicacy, to fiddle with gently) + らしい (seeming). Captures the quality of being fragile yet determined — something handled carefully for fear it might break.

文化的背景

時代: Classical-Modern

世代: Adult

社会的背景: General