散々(さんざん)

さんざん

na-adjective, adverb

severely; thoroughly; terribly; miserably

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:

散々(さんざん)な目(め)に遭(あ)う: to have a terrible experience
散々(さんざん)な結果(けっか): a miserable result
散々(さんざん)待(ま)たせる: to keep someone waiting forever
散々(さんざん)悩(なや)む: to agonize at length
散々(さんざん)な一日(いちにち): a terrible day

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.

general

Added 2026.2.6 9:35 · Revised 2026.2.19 21:32

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