腹立たしい

• Reading: はらだたしい
• Romaji: haradatashii
• Kanji breakdown: 腹 (fuku/hara) — belly, inner feeling; 立 (ryū/ta) — to stand, to rise
• Pronunciation: /hɑɾɑdɑtɑɕiː/

Meaning

Irritating; infuriating; provoking; maddening. Describes something that makes one feel deeply angry or exasperated.

An i-adjective derived from 腹が立つ (literally 'the stomach rises' — the Japanese expression for becoming angry) with the adjectival suffix しい. Expresses a stronger, more internalised form of anger than 腹立ち (a noun form). Often used to describe situations rather than people, and implies the anger is justified.

Examples

1. 何度言っても同じミスを繰り返されるのは腹立たしい限りだ。 It is infuriating beyond words when someone keeps making the same mistake no matter how many times you tell them.
2. 理不尽な扱いを受けて、腹立たしい気持ちでいっぱいになった。 After being treated so unfairly, I was filled with nothing but anger.
3. 彼の無責任きわまりない態度が本当に腹立たしかった。 His utterly irresponsible attitude was truly maddening.

Usage Guide

Context: emotion, workplace, relationships, social criticism

Tone: negative

Origin & History

Adjectivisation of the phrase 腹が立つ (to become angry), where 腹 (belly, inner feeling) and 立つ (to rise) together express anger welling up from within. The suffix しい transforms the verbal concept into a descriptive adjective.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal