図々しい

• Reading: ずうずうしい
• Romaji: zuuzuushii
• Kanji breakdown: 図 (zu/to) — diagram, plan (used phonetically here)
• Pronunciation: /zɯ.zɯ.ɕiː/

Meaning

Impudent; shameless; brazen; cheeky. Describes a person who acts without a sense of shame or social restraint, pushing forward with self-interest in a bold, audacious manner.

An i-adjective with strongly negative connotations. Often describes behaviour that violates social norms—asking for too much, refusing to apologise when expected, or acting entitled. Closely related to 厚かましい but more emphatic; 図々しい implies a near-total absence of shame. Frequently appears in constructions such as 図々しくも (brazenly; with the nerve to) and 図々しいやつ (what a nerve).

Examples

1. 断られても断られても図々しく頼み続ける彼の姿に、周囲は呆れ返った。 Everyone was exasperated at the way he shamelessly kept asking over and over despite being turned down.
2. あの人は他人の家に上がり込んで夕食まで食べていくとは、本当に図々しい。 It's really brazen of that person to walk into someone else's house and stay for dinner.
3. 図々しいお願いとは知りながら、もう一度チャンスをいただけないでしょうか。 I know this is a shameless request, but could you please give me one more chance?

Usage Guide

Context: social behaviour, criticism, interpersonal relations

Tone: negative

Origin & History

The kanji 図 here is used phonetically for its reading ず rather than its meaning 'diagram.' The reduplication 図々 intensifies the quality, and しい forms the i-adjective. The word has been in common use since at least the Edo period to describe shameless behaviour.

Cultural Context

Era: Edo–Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal