汚らわしい
けがらわしい
i-adjective
filthy; disgusting; defiling
Conjugation
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | 汚らわしい | 汚らわしくない |
| Past | 汚らわしかった | 汚らわしくなかった |
| て form | 汚らわしくて | 汚らわしくなくて |
| Adverbial | 汚らわしく | — |
| Conditional ば | 汚らわしければ | 汚らわしくなければ |
| Conditional たら | 汚らわしかったら | 汚らわしくなかったら |
1.
filthy; disgusting; abhorrent; morally repugnant
Describes something that is morally or spiritually impure and offensive. Stronger than simply 'dirty' — implies deep revulsion and contamination.
汚らわしい行為だ。
That is a disgusting act.
汚らわしい expresses deep revulsion — moral, spiritual, or emotional — not merely physical dirtiness.
Etymology
Related to 穢れ (impurity, defilement), a concept rooted in Shinto beliefs about ritual purity and contamination.
Similar words
- 汚い: dirty (physical or general); much milder
- 卑しい: base, vulgar (focuses on low character)
- 忌まわしい: abominable, ominous (focuses on things one wishes to avoid)
Common collocations
Register
Formal and literary. Rarely used in casual conversation — more typical of novels, drama, and emotional speech. Carries strong moral judgment.
Related Words
Compare:
汚い (dirty (milder))
Compare:
忌まわしい (abominable, ominous)
Compare:
卑しい (base, vulgar)