もうむり

• Reading: もうむり
• Romaji: mou muri
• Pronunciation: /mo.ɯ.mɯ.ɾi/

Meaning

An expression meaning 'I can't anymore' or 'I'm done,' used to convey overwhelm from exhaustion, laughter, cuteness, or stress.

もうむり is the casual hiragana form of もう無理. In texting, writing it in all hiragana makes it feel softer, more emotional, and more dramatic. It can mean genuine exhaustion or be used hyperbolically — when something is so funny, cute, or intense that the speaker feels they can't handle it. Context determines whether it is distress or delighted overwhelm. Extremely common across all social media platforms.

Examples

1. 残業5日連続はもうむり。帰りたい。 Five days of overtime in a row, I can't anymore. I wanna go home.
2. この猫の動画もうむりかわいすぎる。 This cat video — I can't, it's too cute.
3. 笑いすぎてもうむりお腹痛い。 I laughed so hard I can't, my stomach hurts.

Usage Guide

Context: texting, social media, LINE, Twitter/X

Tone: overwhelmed, dramatic, sometimes humorous

Do Say

• もうむり寝る (I can't anymore, going to bed)
• もうむりwww笑いが止まらない (I can't lol I can't stop laughing)

Don't Say

• 仕事の報告で「もうむり」は書かない (Don't write 'mou muri' in work reports — use 対応が困難です)

Common Mistakes

• Taking もうむり literally as genuine distress when it's being used hyperbolically about something cute or funny
• Using it in professional contexts where もう限界です would be more appropriate

Origin & History

Casual hiragana rendering of もう無理 (mou muri, 'already impossible/can't take it'). The hiragana-only form became standard in texting culture in the 2010s for its softer, more expressive feel.

Cultural Context

Era: 2010s texting culture

Generation: All ages, especially teens and 20s

Social background: Universal informal

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. One of the most common emotional expressions in casual texting.