爪(つめ)を噛(か)む

つめをかむ
expression
to bite one's nails; to be frustrated
1. to bite one's nails (literal)
The physical habit of biting or chewing on one's fingernails, often from nervousness, anxiety, or boredom.
緊張(きんちょう)すると爪(つめ)を噛(か)む癖(くせ)がある。
I have a habit of biting my nails when I'm nervous.
子(こ)どもが爪(つめ)を噛(か)むのをやめさせたい。
I want to get the child to stop biting their nails.
爪(つめ)を噛(か)むのは衛生(えいせい)的(てき)にもよくない。
Biting your nails is also bad from a hygiene standpoint.
2. to be frustrated; to feel vexed; to gnash one's teeth
To feel intense frustration or regret, especially about a missed opportunity or a narrow defeat.
惜(お)しい試合(しあい)で負(ま)けて爪(つめ)を噛(か)む思(おも)いだった。
It was frustrating to lose such a close game.
あと一歩(いっぽ)のところで逃(のが)して、爪(つめ)を噛(か)んだ。
I missed it by a hair and felt so frustrated.
チャンスを逃(のが)し、監督(かんとく)は爪(つめ)を噛(か)む思(おも)いで試合(しあい)を見守(みまも)っていた。
Having missed the opportunity, the coach watched the game with frustration.

Both the literal and figurative senses are common. The figurative sense (爪(つめ)を噛(か)む思(おも)い — the feeling of biting one's nails) conveys intense frustration about something narrowly missed or a situation one cannot control. Very common in sports commentary.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 爪(つめ)を噛(か)む癖(くせ): nail-biting habit
  • 爪(つめ)を噛(か)む思(おも)い: frustrating feeling; vexation
  • 爪(つめ)を噛(か)む展開(てんかい): nail-biting development

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 歯噛(はが)みする: to gnash one's teeth — specifically about grinding teeth in frustration or rage
  • 悔(くや)しがる: to feel frustrated; to be vexed — a more direct expression of frustration without the metaphor
  • 地団駄(じだんだ)を踏(ふ)む: to stamp one's feet in frustration — a stronger physical expression of frustration
general
Added 2026.4.26 0:22
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