1.
hair at the back of the head
The hair growing at the back of one's head.
後ろ髪をまとめる。
To tie up the hair at the back of one's head.
後ろ髪が首にかかる。
The hair at the back touches the neck.
後ろ髪が伸びてきたので、美容院に行かなければ。
The hair at the back of my head has gotten long, so I need to go to the salon.
2.
lingering attachment; reluctance to leave
A feeling of being unable to leave something behind, as if someone were pulling you back by the hair. Used primarily in the idiom 後ろ髪を引かれる.
後ろ髪を引かれる思い。
A feeling of lingering reluctance.
故郷を離れるのは後ろ髪を引かれた。
Leaving my hometown was hard to do — I felt pulled back.
子供を預けて出勤するのは、毎朝後ろ髪を引かれる思いだ。
Leaving my child behind and going to work feels like a reluctant parting every morning.
The literal meaning (sense 1) refers to the hair at the back of the head, but the word is far more commonly encountered in the idiomatic expression 後ろ髪を引かれる (sense 2).
IDIOM:
The expression 後ろ髪を引かれる literally means "to have one's hair pulled from behind" — evoking the image of being physically held back as you try to leave. It expresses deep reluctance to part with someone or something, a strong emotional pull to stay.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 後ろ髪を引かれる — to feel reluctant to leave; to feel a lingering attachment
- 後ろ髪を引かれる思い — a feeling of lingering reluctance
- 後ろ髪を引かれながら — while reluctantly leaving
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 未練 — lingering attachment, regret; a broader term for reluctance to let go
- 名残惜しい — sad to part; a direct expression of reluctance at parting