不自然(ふしぜん)さ

ふしぜんさ
noun
unnaturalness; awkwardness; artificiality
descriptive
1. unnaturalness; awkwardness; artificiality
The quality of seeming unnatural, forced, or contrived. Describes something that feels off or doesn't flow naturally—applied to behavior, speech, appearance, or situations.
不自然(ふしぜん)さを感(かん)じた。
I sensed something unnatural.
その説明(せつめい)には不自然(ふしぜん)さが残(のこ)る。
That explanation still has an air of unnaturalness about it.
彼(かれ)の笑顔(えがお)の不自然(ふしぜん)さに周囲(しゅうい)は気(き)づいていた。
Those around him had noticed the forced quality of his smile.

Formed by adding the suffix さ to the na-adjective 不自然(ふしぜん) (unnatural). Nominalizes the quality, allowing it to be treated as a thing that can be felt, noticed, or pointed out. Common in literary writing, criticism, and everyday observations about behavior.

Common collocations

  • 不自然(ふしぜん)さを感(かん)じる: to sense unnaturalness
  • 不自然(ふしぜん)さが残(のこ)る: unnaturalness remains
  • 不自然(ふしぜん)さに気(き)づく: to notice the unnaturalness
  • 不自然(ふしぜん)さがない: there is no unnaturalness (it feels natural)
  • 不自然(ふしぜん)さを消(け)す: to eliminate the unnaturalness

Similar words

  • 違和感(いわかん): sense of something being off — a subjective feeling that something is wrong or doesn't fit, broader than 不自然(ふしぜん)さ
  • ぎこちなさ: awkwardness, stiffness — specifically about movement or behavior that lacks smoothness
  • わざとらしさ: deliberate artificiality — implies something is obviously done on purpose to deceive

Related Words

Compare: 違和感(いわかん) (sense of something being off)
general
Added 2026.4.20 21:20 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
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