口惜しい

• Reading: くちおしい
• Romaji: kuchioshii
• Kanji breakdown: 口 (kuchi) — mouth, utterance; 惜 (oshi) — regrettable, precious
• Pronunciation: /kɯ.tɕi.o.ɕiː/

Meaning

Vexing; frustrating; mortifying. Expresses the feeling of bitter regret at a near-miss or outcome one cannot accept.

An i-adjective combining 口 (speech, utterance) and 惜しい (regrettable) — the sense of something so disappointing that you are left speechless or wanting to cry out. It sits between悔しい (frustrated, resentful) and 残念 (unfortunate) but carries a more acute emotional sting, often used for narrow failures or missed opportunities.

Examples

1. あと一点で合格を逃したのが本当に口惜しい。 Missing a passing score by just one point was truly mortifying.
2. 実力を発揮できなかった試合が口惜しくて、何度も思い返した。 Not being able to perform to my full ability in the match was so frustrating that I kept replaying it in my mind.
3. 口惜しいことに、その申し込みは締め切り一時間前に終わっていた。 Frustratingly, that application had closed one hour before the deadline.

Usage Guide

Context: competitions, examinations, missed opportunities, literary expression

Tone: bitter, rueful

Origin & History

Classical compound of 口 (kuchi — mouth, utterance) and 惜しい (oshii — regrettable, precious). The earliest usage suggests the sense of something so painful you want to cry out about it.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical–Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal