1.
surmising someone's wishes; conjecturing someone's feelings
The act of guessing or inferring what someone wants or thinks without being told directly, often to act accordingly.
上司の意向を忖度する。
To surmise what the boss wants.
忖度が働いたのではないか。
I suspect they were anticipating someone's wishes.
忖度なしで意見を言ってください。
Please give your opinion without trying to guess what I want to hear.
ETYMOLOGY:
From classical Chinese: 忖 (to measure, consider) + 度 (to conjecture)
CULTURAL NOTE:
This term gained widespread attention in 2017 during Japanese political scandals, where it was used to describe how officials allegedly acted to please superiors without explicit instructions. It reflects the Japanese cultural emphasis on reading the air (空気を読む) and anticipating others' wishes.
NUANCE:
Can be neutral (normal social skill) or negative (inappropriate deference or sycophancy), depending on context.
RELATED:
- 察する - to sense, perceive
- 空気を読む - to read the room
- 推し量る - to conjecture