顰蹙

• Reading: ひんしゅく
• Romaji: hinshuku
• Kanji breakdown: 顰 (hin) — frown, wrinkle the brow; 蹙 (shuku) — frown, contract
• Pronunciation: /çiɴ.ɕɯ.kɯ/

Meaning

Disapproval; scorn; frowning upon someone's behaviour.

A noun most commonly seen in the set phrase 顰蹙を買う (to incur disapproval, to draw frowns). Describes the reaction of others when someone behaves inappropriately or offensively. Despite using extremely complex kanji, this word is frequently encountered in everyday Japanese, often written in hiragana as ひんしゅく. Can also function as a suru verb meaning to frown or show disapproval.

Examples

1. 会議中にスマホをいじって周囲の顰蹙を買った。 I drew disapproval from those around me for playing with my phone during the meeting.
2. 彼の無神経な発言はひんしゅくを買った。 His insensitive remark earned him widespread disapproval.
3. マナー違反をすると顰蹙を買うことになる。 Breaking social etiquette will earn you the scorn of others.

Usage Guide

Context: social behaviour, manners, criticism

Tone: critical

Origin & History

From classical Chinese. 顰 (hin) means to frown/wrinkle the brow, and 蹙 (shuku) also means to frown or contract. The doubling of 'frown' emphasises strong disapproval. The kanji are among the most complex in regular use.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: Adults

Social background: Educated