1.
sorrow; grief; pathos; sadness
A deep, often quiet sadness or grief. A literary word conveying profound emotional pain, frequently used in writing and formal expression.
悲哀に満ちた表情。
An expression full of sorrow.
その音楽には深い悲哀が込められている。
Deep sorrow is embedded in that music.
戦争の悲哀を描いた小説が心に残った。
A novel that depicted the grief of war stayed with me.
A literary word composed of 悲 (sad, sorrowful) + 哀 (grief, pity). Both characters independently convey sadness; together they express profound, quiet grief. Common in literature, music criticism, and formal writing.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 悲哀に満ちた: filled with sorrow
- 悲哀を感じる: to feel sorrow
- 悲哀を帯びた: tinged with sorrow
- 人生の悲哀: the sorrow of life
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 悲しみ: sadness — the most common everyday word
- 哀愁: melancholy, pathos — similar literary register, but with a more wistful, nostalgic quality
- 嘆き: lamentation — active grieving, more vocal
- 哀れ: pathos, pity — a classical aesthetic concept in Japanese literature
REGISTER:
Primarily a written/literary word. In everyday conversation, 悲しみ or 悲しさ would be used instead.