老害

• Reading: ろうがい
• Romaji: rogai
• Kanji breakdown: 老 (old/elderly) + 害 (harm/damage) → elderly person causing harm through stubbornness
• Pronunciation: /ɾo.ɯ.ɡa.i/

Meaning

Toxic elder — an older person who causes problems by clinging to outdated ideas, refusing to adapt, and blocking younger people's progress.

Originally used to criticise elderly politicians and executives who refused to step down, 老害 has expanded to describe any older person perceived as stubbornly out of touch and harmful because of it. Common targets include bosses who refuse to adopt new technology, seniors who lecture about 'the good old days,' and older public figures making tone-deaf comments. While the criticism is sometimes valid, the term is considered quite harsh and ageist.

Examples

1. 会議で老害がまた昔の話ばっかりしてた。 That toxic boomer was going on and on about the old days again in the meeting.
2. 老害って言葉は嫌いだけど、あの人には当てはまる。 I hate the word 'toxic elder,' but it fits that person perfectly.
3. ITに詳しくないのに口出す老害、マジで邪魔。 That out-of-touch old guy who knows nothing about IT but keeps butting in is seriously in the way.

Usage Guide

Context: internet, workplace gossip, social media

Tone: contemptuous, frustrated

Do Say

• 老害上司が新しいシステム全部拒否するんだけど。 (My boomer boss rejects every new system.)
• 老害にならないように、自分も気をつけないと。 (I need to be careful not to become a toxic elder myself.)

Don't Say

• 年上の人に直接「老害」と言うのは非常に失礼で対立を招く (Calling an older person 老害 to their face is extremely rude and will cause conflict)

Common Mistakes

• Using 老害 for any older person you disagree with — it specifically implies they are causing harm through stubbornness, not just being old
• Not recognising that the term is considered quite harsh and ageist by many people

Origin & History

Compound of 老 (old) and 害 (harm). Originally used in political discourse to criticise elderly leaders who wouldn't retire. Spread to general internet slang in the 2010s as intergenerational friction became a common online topic.

Cultural Context

Era: 2010s mainstream internet adoption, earlier in political commentary

Generation: Millennials and Gen Z (used to criticise older generations)

Social background: Universal informal

Regional notes: Used nationwide. Reflects intergenerational tension in Japanese society, especially in the workplace.