1.
socially awkward person
Slang term for someone who has difficulty communicating or socializing with others. Abbreviation of コミュニケーション障害 (communication disorder), but used casually and often self-deprecatingly.
私はコミュ障だから、初対面の人と話すのが苦手。
I'm socially awkward, so I have trouble talking to people I've just met.
コミュ障でも働きやすい仕事を探している。
I'm looking for a job that's easy to work at even if you're socially awkward.
「コミュ障」は自虐ネタとしてよく使われる。
"Komyushou" is often used as self-deprecating humor.
ETYMOLOGY: Abbreviation of コミュニケーション障害 (communication disorder). The clinical term has been adopted as casual slang with a much broader, less clinical meaning.
REGISTER: Casual/Slang
Primarily used among young people. Often used self-deprecatingly. The clinical origin means this term should be used carefully, as it can be insensitive to people with actual communication disorders.
USAGE NOTES:
- Very commonly used for self-description
- Can be seen as insensitive when used to describe others
- Often appears in discussions about social anxiety or introversion
- Sometimes written as コミュしょう with hiragana
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- コミュ障気味 (somewhat socially awkward)
- 重度のコミュ障 (severely socially awkward - humorous)
- コミュ障を克服する (to overcome social awkwardness)
RELATED TERMS:
- 人見知り: shy around strangers (more neutral)
- 内向的: introverted (formal, clinical)
- コミュ力: communication skills (abbreviated)