辟易

• Reading: へきえき
• Romaji: hekieki
• Kanji breakdown: 辟 (heki) — avoid, move aside; 易 (eki) — change, disrupt
• Pronunciation: /he.ki.e.ki/

Meaning

Being fed up; recoiling; shrinking back. Describes a state of being overwhelmed and exhausted by something unpleasant, or of flinching before something daunting.

Used as a verbal noun with する (辟易する). Carries nuances of both being exasperated or worn out and physically recoiling in the face of something overwhelming. The former sense — fed up, utterly exasperated — dominates in modern usage. Often followed by させられる (to be made to feel fed up) or する, and frequently takes the adverb すっかり for emphasis.

Examples

1. 毎回繰り返される同じ言い訳に、上司はすっかり辟易した様子だった。 The manager appeared completely fed up with the same excuses being repeated every time.
2. 彼の強引な態度には、周囲の人間がみな辟易していた。 Everyone around him was exasperated by his overbearing attitude.
3. 複雑な書類手続きに辟易して、申請を途中で諦める人も多い。 Many people become so worn down by the complex paperwork that they give up midway through the application.

Usage Guide

Context: workplace, daily life, interpersonal, literature

Tone: negative

Origin & History

From classical Chinese. 辟 originally means to move aside or avoid, and 易 in this context relates to disruption or instability. The compound described the act of shrinking away from something overwhelming; the modern Japanese usage emphasises being worn down or exasperated.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Universal