癖 字(くせじ)

くせじ

noun

idiosyncratic handwriting; quirky penmanship

1. handwriting with personal quirks; idiosyncratic penmanship

Handwriting whose individual style — slant, loops, oversized characters — makes it noticeably personal, often at the cost of legibility. Carries a slightly negative or apologetic nuance.

父(ちち)の字(じ)は癖字(くせじ)で読(よ)みにくい。

My father's handwriting is quirky and hard to read.

癖字(くせじ)なので書類(しょるい)は活字(かつじ)で書(か)くようにしている。

My handwriting is quirky, so I make sure to print on documents.

昔(むかし)の手紙(てがみ)を読(よ)み返(かえ)したら、祖母(そぼ)の癖字(くせじ)が懐(なつ)かしく感(かん)じられた。

Rereading old letters, I felt nostalgic for my grandmother's distinctive handwriting.

Compound of 癖(くせ) (habit; quirk) + 字(じ) (character; handwriting). The 癖(くせ) element gives it a mildly negative tone — usually about legibility, sometimes affectionate when describing a familiar person.

Common collocations

癖字(くせじ)で書(か)く: to write in quirky handwriting
ひどい癖字(くせじ): terrible/illegible handwriting
癖字(くせじ)を直(なお)す: to correct one's handwriting quirks

Similar words

悪筆(あくひつ): bad handwriting — straightforwardly negative, focuses on poor quality
達筆(たっぴつ): skilled, flowing calligraphy — positive, often hard to read for the opposite reason
下手(へた)な字(じ): clumsy handwriting — emphasizes lack of skill, not personality

Related Words

Compare: 悪筆(あくひつ) (bad handwriting)

Compare: 達筆(たっぴつ) (skilled, flowing calligraphy)

Compare: 美文字(びもじ) (beautiful handwriting)

general

Added 2026.6.3 13:21 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02

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