気まずい

• Reading: きまずい
• Romaji: kimazui
• Kanji breakdown: 気 (ki, feeling/spirit/mood) + まずい (mazui, bad/unpleasant) — literally 'feeling-unpleasant,' describing an emotionally uncomfortable atmosphere.
• Pronunciation: /ki.ma.zɯ.i/

Meaning

Awkward or describing an uncomfortable situation — the feeling when the atmosphere becomes tense or embarrassing.

While 気まずい is a standard Japanese adjective, it has taken on heightened slang usage among younger speakers who use it constantly to describe socially uncomfortable moments. It covers running into an ex, an awkward silence, saying something embarrassing, or any situation where you want the ground to swallow you. Often used as a standalone reaction: 気まずっ！ (kimazuッ!) in the shortened exclamatory form.

Examples

1. 元カレとバイト先でばったり会って気まずかった。 I randomly ran into my ex at my part-time job and it was so awkward.
2. 間違えて隣の人の飲み物取っちゃって気まずい。 I accidentally grabbed the person next to me's drink — so awkward.
3. エレベーターで上司と二人きりになるの気まずいよね。 Being stuck alone with your boss in an elevator is awkward, right?

Usage Guide

Context: friends, casual conversation, social media, daily life

Tone: uncomfortable, cringing, relatable

Do Say

• 昨日の飲み会で変なこと言っちゃって、今日顔合わせるの気まずい。 (I said something weird at the drinking party yesterday, so facing everyone today is awkward.)
• 気まずい沈黙を何とかしたくて天気の話をした。 (I talked about the weather to try to break the awkward silence.)

Don't Say

• 気まずいと恥ずかしいは違う — 気まずいは対人関係の居心地悪さ (気まずい and 恥ずかしい are different — 気まずい is about interpersonal discomfort, not personal embarrassment)

Common Mistakes

• Confusing 気まずい with 恥ずかしい (embarrassed) — 気まずい specifically describes the uncomfortable atmosphere between people, while 恥ずかしい is about personal embarrassment

Origin & History

Compound of 気 (ki, feeling/mood) and まずい (mazui, bad/unpleasant). Literally 'the feeling is bad/unpleasant.' A long-established Japanese word that has seen increased usage frequency among youth as a go-to descriptor for social discomfort.

Cultural Context

Era: Traditional word with increased modern slang usage

Generation: All ages (universal)

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. The shortened exclamatory form 気まずっ！ is especially popular among younger speakers.