みじめ

• Reading: みじめ
• Romaji: mijime
• Pronunciation: /mi.dʑi.me/

Meaning

Miserable; wretched; pitiable; pathetic. Describes a state of deep unhappiness or wretchedness.

A na-adjective describing a deeply unhappy or pitiful state. Can be written 惨め in kanji but hiragana is more common. Used for both one's own feelings and observed situations: みじめな気持ち (miserable feelings), みじめな生活 (wretched life). Stronger than 悲しい (sad) — implies a combination of sadness, shame, and helplessness.

Examples

1. 試合に大差で負けてみじめな気持ちになった。 Losing the game by a wide margin left me feeling miserable.
2. 雨の中で一人待たされてみじめだった。 Being left to wait alone in the rain was utterly miserable.
3. 他人と比べてばかりいるとみじめになるだけだ。 Constantly comparing yourself to others will only make you feel pathetic.

Usage Guide

Context: emotions, self-reflection, storytelling

Tone: negative

Origin & History

The kanji form 惨め uses 惨 (san/miji, miserable/wretched), which contains the radical 忄 (heart/feeling) suggesting emotional suffering. The め is an adjectival suffix. In modern usage, the hiragana form is standard.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal