むかつく

む

か

つ

く

Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

godan verb (-ku), intransitive verb

feel irritated; feel offended; feel angry

Expresses a visceral, often sudden feeling of annoyance or anger, similar to 'pissed off' in casual speech. Common in everyday conversation.

彼かれの態たい度どにむかついた。
I got pissed off at his attitude.
毎まい日にち同おなじことの繰くり返かえしでむかつく。
It pisses me off doing the same thing every day.

2

godan verb (-ku), intransitive verb

feel sick; feel nauseous

Describes a physical sensation of queasiness or an upset stomach, often from overeating, motion sickness, or disgust.

食たべ過すぎてむかつく。
I feel sick from eating too much.
車くるまに酔よってむかついてきた。
I got carsick and started feeling nauseous.

Written forms

むかつくUsage48%
Standard hiragana spelling; no kanji form exists.
ムカつくUsage41%
Katakana spelling often used in casual writing for emphasis.
ムカツクUsage11%
search-only kana form
All-katakana form; primarily a search variant.

Similar words

イライラする
イライラする describes a more sustained, fretful irritation, while むかつく is a sharper, gut-level reaction often tied to a specific trigger.
吐はき気けがする
吐き気がする is a more clinical or formal way to say 'feel nauseous', whereas むかつく is colloquial and can also describe heartburn-like discomfort.

Etymology

Derived from the mimetic word むかむか (onomatopoeia for nausea or anger) combined with the verb-forming suffix つく. The exact origin of むかむか is uncertain, but it likely imitates a churning stomach or rising emotion.