ひやひや

• 読み: ひやひや
• ローマ字: hiyahiya
• 発音: /hi.ja.hi.ja/

意味

Feeling nervous; on edge; anxious. The sensation of cold-sweat anxiety from watching something risky or dangerous.

A mimetic adverb (擬態語) describing the anxious, nail-biting feeling of watching something precarious unfold: ひやひやする (to feel on edge), ひやひやしながら見る (to watch nervously). The underlying metaphor is the chilling sensation of a cold sweat caused by fear or worry. Common when describing near-misses, risky situations, or watching someone do something dangerous. Distinct from どきどき (dokidoki, heart pounding), which is broader — ひやひや specifically implies fear of a bad outcome.

例文

1. 子供が高い木に登るのをひやひやしながら見ていた。
2. 締め切りに間に合うかひやひやした。
3. 彼の運転はひやひやさせられる。

使い方ガイド

場面: daily life, parenting, work

トーン: anxious

起源と歴史

A Japanese mimetic word (擬態語) based on ひや (hiya, cold/chilly), reduplicated for emphasis. The cold sensation evoked is that of a cold sweat — the body's physical response to fear or anxiety, extending from the literal 'feeling chilly' to the figurative 'feeling nervously on edge.'

文化的背景

時代: Modern

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal