気まずい

• Reading: きまずい
• Romaji: kimazui
• Kanji breakdown: 気 (ki) — feeling, mood, atmosphere; まずい — bad, unpleasant (compound adjective)
• Pronunciation: /ki.ma.zɯ.i/

Meaning

Awkward; uncomfortable; strained. Describes the tense, unnatural atmosphere between people when something has gone wrong or remains unresolved between them.

An i-adjective describing the social discomfort that arises when an argument, embarrassing moment, or unresolved bad feeling makes natural interaction impossible. Carries the sense of being unable to act at ease due to interpersonal tension. Very common in everyday spoken Japanese and closely parallels the English 'awkward' in its social register.

Examples

1. 喧嘩した翌日、二人の間は気まずい雰囲気が漂っていた。 The day after their argument, an awkward tension hung between the two of them.
2. 気まずい沈黙が続いた後、彼がようやく口を開いた。 After an uncomfortable silence dragged on, he finally spoke.
3. 同窓会で元交際相手と顔を合わせ、気まずい思いをした。 Running into an ex at the class reunion made for an awkward, uncomfortable moment.

Usage Guide

Context: relationships, social situation, everyday language

Tone: uncomfortable

Origin & History

Compound of 気 (mood, feeling, atmosphere) and まずい (bad, unpleasant). Literally describes a 'bad feeling atmosphere.' The word captures social awkwardness with precision; it has no exact single-word English equivalent.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal