わびしい

わ

び

し

い

Meanings

1

i-adjective

lonely; dreary; miserable; wretched; shabby

usually written using kana alone

Describes a feeling of loneliness, desolation, or bleakness, often associated with a place, atmosphere, or emotional state. Can also refer to a shabby or comfortless appearance. The word carries a literary and somewhat poetic tone.

冬ふゆの海かい岸がんはわびしい景色けしきだった。
The winter seashore was a dreary sight.

一人ひとりで過すごす休きゅう日じつはわびしい。

Spending a holiday alone feels lonely.

わびしいアパートに帰かえるのが嫌いやだ。

I hate going back to my shabby apartment.

Written forms

わびしいUsage56%
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms 侘しい and 侘びしい are rare and literary.
侘わびしいUsage35%
Rare kanji form; may appear in literary or aesthetic contexts.
佗わびしいUsage6%
search-only kanji form
Search-only kanji form; not recommended for active use.
侘わびしいUsage2%
Rare kanji form with okurigana; may appear in literary or aesthetic contexts.
佗わびしいUsage1%
search-only kanji form
Search-only kanji form; not recommended for active use.

Kanji

侘proud, lonely
佗proud, lonely

Similar words

寂さびしい
寂しい is the common word for 'lonely' or 'lonesome', used in everyday speech. わびしい is more literary and emphasizes a bleak, desolate atmosphere or shabbiness.
侘わび
侘び is a noun referring to the aesthetic of quiet simplicity and rustic beauty, often in tea ceremony. わびしい is the adjective form describing a state of loneliness or desolation, not necessarily the aesthetic ideal.

Etymology

Derived from the verb 侘びる (わびる, 'to feel lonely' or 'to be worried'), with the adjective-forming suffix しい. The kanji 侘 is associated with the aesthetic concept of wabi, but the adjective わびしい predates that specialized usage and simply describes a state of loneliness or desolation.