つむじまがり

つむじまがり
noun, na-adjective
perverse person; contrarian; oddball
informalpersonality
1. perverse person; contrarian; someone who is contrary or stubborn
A person who tends to disagree, act contrary to expectations, or take an opposite stance just for the sake of being different. Has a mildly critical but sometimes affectionate nuance.
あの人(ひと)はつむじまがりだ。
That person is a contrarian.
つむじまがりな性格(せいかく)で損(そん)をしている。
His contrary nature works against him.
父(ちち)はつむじまがりだから、みんなが賛成(さんせい)すると反対(はんたい)したがる。
My father is so contrary that when everyone agrees, he wants to disagree.

Literally means 'crooked hair whorl' (旋毛(つむじ) + 曲(まが)り). Based on the folk belief that the direction of one's hair whorl (the spiral at the crown of the head) reflects personality — a crooked one indicates a difficult or contrary temperament.

Also written 旋毛曲(つむじまが)り in kanji, though the hiragana form is more common.

Common collocations

Similar words

  • 天(あま)の邪鬼(じゃく): contrarian — similar meaning but slightly more playful; literally 'heavenly demon'
  • 偏屈(へんくつ): cranky, eccentric — emphasizes stubbornness and being set in one's ways
  • 頑固(がんこ): stubborn — focuses on refusing to change one's mind, without the 'doing the opposite' nuance

Related Words

Compare: 偏屈(へんくつ) (cranky, eccentric)
Compare: 頑固(がんこ) (stubborn)
general
Added 2026.4.9 5:35 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
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