むさ苦(くる)しい

むさくるしい
i-adjective
squalid; stuffy and shabby; cramped and dingy
descriptive
Conjugation
AffirmativeNegative
Presentむさ苦(くる)しいむさ苦(くる)しくない
Pastむさ苦(くる)しかったむさ苦(くる)しくなかった
て formむさ苦(くる)しくてむさ苦(くる)しくなくて
Adverbialむさ苦(くる)しく—
Conditional ばむさ苦(くる)しければむさ苦(くる)しくなければ
Conditional たらむさ苦(くる)しかったらむさ苦(くる)しくなかったら
1. squalid; stuffy and shabby; cramped and dingy
Describes a place, or a person's appearance, that is dirty, cramped, and unpleasantly stuffy — shabby and uninviting. Often used self-deprecatingly of one's own home.
むさ苦(くる)しい部屋(へや)ですみません。
Sorry for the shabby room.
男(おとこ)ばかりでむさ苦(くる)しい。
It's all men, so it feels stuffy and shabby.
むさ苦(くる)しい格好(かっこう)のまま来客(らいきゃく)に会(あ)ってしまった。
I ended up meeting the visitor while still looking scruffy.

Describes shabby, cramped, stuffy dinginess — of a room, a crowd, or a person's unkempt look. Often used self-deprecatingly, as in むさ苦(くる)しい所(ところ)ですが (a humble set phrase when inviting someone into one's home).

Forms

  • Adverbial: むさ苦(くる)しく
  • Negative: むさ苦(くる)しくない
  • Past: むさ苦(くる)しかった

Similar words

  • 汚(きたな)らしい: filthy-looking — emphasizes dirtiness
  • むさ苦(くる)しい adds cramped, stuffy shabbiness rather than dirt alone