見苦しい（みぐるしい、migurushii）
- ugly

The Japanese word 見苦しい (みぐるしい) describes something that is unsightly, unpleasant to look at, or offensive. It often implies a lack of dignity, grace, or decorum. It can relate to physical appearance, behavior, or even situations. It suggests something is difficult or uncomfortable to witness or experience. The implication is often one of shame, embarrassment, or disgust. The word 見苦しい carries a strong negative connotation.

⚫︎彼の見苦しい振る舞いには、誰もが顔をしかめた。 Translation: Everyone frowned at his unsightly behavior. ⚫︎こんなに見苦しい姿を見せて、本当に申し訳ありません。 Translation: I am truly sorry for showing you such an unsightly appearance. ⚫︎見苦しい争いはやめて、話し合いましょう。 Translation: Stop the unsightly arguing, and let's talk.

You would use 見苦しい in situations where you want to express that something is displeasing to the eye, offensive, or otherwise inappropriate. It's often used to describe: ⚫︎ Physical appearance (e.g., someone's unkempt look). ⚫︎ Behavior (e.g., rude or shameful actions). ⚫︎ Situations (e.g., a messy room or a public display of fighting). ⚫︎ The word is typically used in more formal settings or when you want to emphasize the severity of the negative impression. You should avoid using the 見苦しい version with very close friends or family, if you want to avoid sounding overly harsh.

⚫︎The word is written primarily with the kanji 見 (み, "to see, look") and 苦 (くる, "bitter, hardship, suffering") combined with the adjective ending しい. ⚫︎Hiragana: みぐるしい. ⚫︎Kanji: 見苦しい. ⚫︎The okurigana (hiragana following the kanji) is しい. There are no variations in how this word is written.

⚫︎みっともない (mittomonai) - embarrassing, disgraceful, shameful ⚫︎醜い (みにくい) - ugly, hideous ⚫︎不格好な (bukakkō na) - awkward, clumsy, unsightly ⚫︎不細工な (busaiku na) - clumsy, ugly, unskillful ⚫︎下品な (gehin na) - vulgar, low-class, crude ⚫︎見苦しい can also be replaced with phrases that describe the same sentiment.

⚫︎美しい (utsukushii) - beautiful ⚫︎立派な (rippa na) - splendid, magnificent, admirable ⚫︎素晴らしい (subarashii) - wonderful, fantastic ⚫︎見事な (migoto na) - splendid, superb

彼の見苦しい態度には、誰もが呆れてしまった。 ・Translation: Everyone was astonished at his unsightly attitude. ・Explanation: This sentence describes a situation where someone's behavior is considered shameful and displeasing.

部屋が散らかっていて見苦しいから、掃除しなさい。 ・Translation: Clean your room because it's messy and unsightly. ・Explanation: This sentence is used to describe a messy room using the adjective 見苦しい.

The word 見苦しい is derived from the verb 見る (miru, "to see") combined with the adjective 苦しい (kurushii, "painful, difficult, distressing") and then, the adjective ending い is added to become an adjective. The idea is something that is difficult or unpleasant to "see" or witness. Therefore, the word's etymology emphasizes the visual aspect of something being difficult to endure or be exposed to.