遅咲(おそざ)き

おそざき
noun, no-adjective
late bloomer; late flowering
natureperson
1. late flowering; late blooming
Flowers or plants that bloom later in the season compared to others of the same type.
この桜(さくら)は遅咲(おそざ)きだ。
These cherry blossoms are late-blooming.
遅咲(おそざ)きの品種(ひんしゅ)はまだ見頃(みごろ)だ。
The late-blooming varieties are still at their best.
遅咲(おそざ)きの梅(うめ)が庭(にわ)の隅(すみ)でようやく咲(さ)き始(はじ)めた。
The late-blooming plum tree in the corner of the garden has finally started to flower.
2. late bloomer; person who achieves success later in life
A person who develops talent, achieves recognition, or reaches success later than is typical. Often used approvingly, suggesting perseverance rather than failure.
彼(かれ)は遅咲(おそざ)きの作家(さっか)だ。
He is a late-blooming writer.
遅咲(おそざ)きの選手(せんしゅ)が大会(たいかい)で優勝(ゆうしょう)した。
A late-blooming athlete won the tournament.
遅咲(おそざ)きだったが、四十代(よんじゅうだい)で画家(がか)として認(みと)められた。
He was a late bloomer, but gained recognition as a painter in his forties.

Literally 'late blooming,' this word originates from describing flowers that bloom later in the season. The figurative sense, describing people who find success later in life, carries a positive nuance — it implies hidden potential and perseverance rather than slowness or failure.

Common collocations

Similar words

  • 早咲(はやざ)き: early blooming — the opposite, used both literally for flowers and figuratively for precocious people
  • 大器晩成(たいきばんせい): great talents mature late — a four-character idiom expressing the same idea but in a more literary, proverbial register

Related Words

Compare: 大器晩成(たいきばんせい) (great talents mature late)
general
Added 2026.4.27 22:06 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
25500/25776_osozaki