The kanji 憂 generally conveys the core meaning of "worry," "anxiety," "grief," or "sorrow." It represents a state of mental distress, concern, or sadness about something. It often implies a feeling of being troubled or burdened.

・On-yomi (音読み): ユウ (yuu) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): うれ（える） (ure(eru)), う（い） (u(i))

⚫︎ 憂鬱 (yuuutsu) Translation: Melancholy, depression, gloom ⚫︎ 憂慮 (yuuryo) Translation: Concern, anxiety, worry ⚫︎ 憂い顔 (ureigao) Translation: A sorrowful face, a worried expression

The kanji 憂 is a 形声文字 (keisei moji), a phono-semantic compound character. It is composed of two parts: the radical 心 (kokoro), meaning "heart" or "mind," and the phonetic component 㐬 (ryuu), which contributes to the sound and hints at the meaning. The radical 心 indicates that the meaning of the character is related to emotions and the mind. The 㐬 component, while primarily contributing to the sound ユウ (yuu), also suggests a feeling of being carried away or flowing, perhaps hinting at the overwhelming nature of the emotions associated with worry.