散々(さんざん)

さんざん
adverb, na-adjective
severely; thoroughly; terribly; miserably
descriptive
1. terribly, miserably, awfully
Describes an extremely bad experience or outcome.
散々(さんざん)な目(め)に遭(あ)った。
I had a terrible experience.
今日(きょう)は散々(さんざん)な一日(いちにち)だった。
Today was an awful day.
試合(しあい)は散々(さんざん)な結果(けっか)に終(お)わった。
The match ended with a miserable result.
2. thoroughly, to a great extent, at length
Doing something to an excessive degree, often with a negative implication.
散々(さんざん)悩(なや)んだ末(すえ)に決(き)めた。
I decided after agonizing over it at length.
散々(さんざん)飲(の)んで酔(よ)っぱらった。
I drank heavily and got drunk.
散々(さんざん)待(ま)たせた挙句(あげく)、彼(かれ)は来(こ)なかった。
After making us wait endlessly, he didn't even come.

Also functions as a na-adjective: 散々(さんざん)な + noun.

Common patterns

Nuance: Almost always negative. 散々(さんざん) conveys frustration, exhaustion, or an overwhelmingly bad experience. When modifying a verb (sense 2), it emphasizes doing something excessively, often leading to an undesirable outcome.

Related Words

Synonym: ひどい (terrible, awful)
general
Added 2026.2.6 9:35 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
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