道楽(どうらく)

どうらく
noun
hobby pursued to excess; dissipation
leisurepersonality
1. hobby; pastime pursued with passion
A pastime someone pours time and money into for pleasure rather than profit. Often said with a wry tone, as of an expensive or impractical passion.
釣(つ)りは父(ちち)の道楽(どうらく)だ。
Fishing is my father's great indulgence.
食道楽(くいどうらく)の彼(かれ)は給料(きゅうりょう)の半分(はんぶん)を外食(がいしょく)に使(つか)う。
He's a big foodie and spends half his salary eating out.
店(みせ)は赤字(あかじ)だが、本人(ほんにん)は「道楽(どうらく)でやっているから」と笑(わら)っている。
The shop loses money, but the owner just laughs and says he runs it for fun.
2. dissipation; debauchery
A life given over to drinking, gambling, or womanizing; the person who lives it is a 道楽者(どうらくもの). Somewhat old-fashioned.
道楽(どうらく)が過(す)ぎる。
He leads too dissolute a life.
道楽息子(どうらくむすこ)が家(いえ)の財産(ざいさん)を使(つか)い果(は)たした。
The prodigal son squandered the family fortune.
若(わか)いころは酒(さけ)と賭(か)け事(ごと)の道楽(どうらく)で親(おや)を泣(な)かせたものだ。
When I was young, my drinking and gambling used to make my parents weep.

Common expressions

  • 食(く)い道楽(どうらく) / 食道楽(しょくどうらく): a passion for good food; a gourmet
  • 着道楽(きどうらく): spending lavishly on clothes
  • 道楽息子(どうらくむすこ): a prodigal son
  • 道楽(どうらく)でやる: to do something as a hobby, not for money

Similar words

Related Words

Compare: 趣味(しゅみ) (hobby, the neutral word)
Compare: 放蕩(ほうとう) (dissipation (literary), close to sense 2)
general
Added 2026.10.17 22:40 · Revised 2026.10.17 22:45
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