A sense of emptiness or futility when expectations or efforts fail to provide meaning.
Word in 30 Seconds
- Refers to feeling empty or lacking substance.
- Describes efforts that yield no meaningful results.
- Often used to express a sense of loneliness or futility.
Overview
- 1概要：虚しい（むなしい）は、漢字の通り「中身が空（から）」であることを基底に持つ言葉です。物理的な空虚さだけでなく、精神的な充足感の欠如や、努力が報われない徒労感を指す際によく用いられます。2) 使用パターン：主に「虚しい気持ち」「虚しい努力」「虚しい時間」のように名詞を修飾するか、「結果が虚しい」のように述語として使われます。感情を表す際には、自分の内面的な空虚さを強調する表現となります。3) 一般的な文脈：人生の無常観や、仕事での失敗、人間関係の希薄さを語る際に頻繁に使用されます。文学的な響きがあり、日常会話よりも少し感情的あるいは哲学的なニュアンスを含みます。4) 類語との比較：「空虚（くうきょ）」はより硬い表現で、概念的な空っぽさを指します。「無駄（むだ）」は単に効率や結果が伴わないことに焦点を当てますが、「虚しい」にはそこに「寂しさ」や「切なさ」という情緒的な側面が強く加わります。
Examples
努力が虚しい結果に終わった。
everydayMy efforts ended in a futile result.
虚しい時間を過ごしてしまった。
formalI spent a hollow, wasted time.
なんだか虚しい気分だ。
informalI feel somehow empty.
人生の虚しさを説く。
academicTo preach the emptiness of life.
Common Collocations
Common Phrases
虚しさを覚える
To feel a sense of emptiness.
虚しさに襲われる
To be overcome by emptiness.
虚しいだけだ
It is just futile/meaningless.
Often Confused With
空虚 is a noun/adjective describing a state of being void. It is more formal and often used in abstract or academic contexts.
無駄 focuses on the lack of utility or efficiency. 虚しい focuses on the emotional impact of that lack.
Grammar Patterns
How to Use It
Usage Notes
This word is used in both formal and informal settings, but it carries a strong emotional weight. It is not suitable for lighthearted conversations as it implies a sense of sadness or existential doubt. Use it when you want to highlight the lack of substance or success in a situation.
Common Mistakes
Beginners sometimes confuse it with 'sad' (kanashii). While they can overlap, 'kanashii' is about pain or sorrow, whereas 'munashii' is about the feeling that something is empty or pointless. Do not use it to describe physical objects that are just 'empty' (use 'kara' instead).
Tips
Use for deep emotional emptiness
When you want to express a hollow feeling inside, '虚しい' is more poetic than simple words like 'sad'. It conveys a sense of existential void.
Avoid in overly positive contexts
Never use this word to describe something light or trivial. It carries a heavy, serious, and somewhat dark nuance.
Connection to the concept of Mujo
The word reflects the Japanese aesthetic of 'Mujo' (impermanence), where the fleeting nature of things is viewed with a sense of melancholic beauty.
Word Origin
The word stems from the concept of 'void' or 'hollow' (mu). It evolved to describe the psychological state of finding no value or substance in one's environment or actions.
Cultural Context
In Japanese literature, the feeling of 'munashisa' is a recurring theme, often linked to the Buddhist concept that everything is transient. It is a sophisticated way to describe a complex emotional state beyond simple unhappiness.
Memory Tip
Think of a 'Moon-ashi' (sounds like 'munashi'). A moon in an empty, dark sky feels lonely and empty.
Frequently Asked Questions
4 questionsどちらも同じ意味で使われます。常用漢字表では「虚」が使われますが、どちらの表記も一般的です。
頑張ったのに報われなかった時や、一人で過ごしていて寂しいと感じた時に使うのが適しています。
「悲しい」は感情の揺れを指しますが、「虚しい」は「中身がない」「無意味だ」という欠落感を強調します。
「虚しい結果に終わった」のように状況説明には使えますが、個人の感情を強く出す言葉なので、報告書などでは避けるのが無難です。
Test Yourself
一生懸命準備したのに、何も評価されなくて___。
努力が報われない状況には「虚しい」が適切です。
「虚しい努力」という表現の意味は？
虚しい努力は、報われない徒労感を指します。
（気持ち / 虚しい / 昨夜は / なった / に）
「虚しい気持ち」という名詞修飾の形が正しいです。
Score: /3
Summary
A sense of emptiness or futility when expectations or efforts fail to provide meaning.
- Refers to feeling empty or lacking substance.
- Describes efforts that yield no meaningful results.
- Often used to express a sense of loneliness or futility.
Use for deep emotional emptiness
When you want to express a hollow feeling inside, '虚しい' is more poetic than simple words like 'sad'. It conveys a sense of existential void.
Avoid in overly positive contexts
Never use this word to describe something light or trivial. It carries a heavy, serious, and somewhat dark nuance.
Connection to the concept of Mujo
The word reflects the Japanese aesthetic of 'Mujo' (impermanence), where the fleeting nature of things is viewed with a sense of melancholic beauty.
Examples
4 of 4努力が虚しい結果に終わった。
My efforts ended in a futile result.
虚しい時間を過ごしてしまった。
I spent a hollow, wasted time.
なんだか虚しい気分だ。
I feel somehow empty.
人生の虚しさを説く。
To preach the emptiness of life.
Related Content
Related Vocabulary
More emotions words
ぼんやり
B1Vaguely; absentmindedly; dimly.
夢中
B1Absorption; engrossment; infatuation.
受け止める
B1To accept; to take; to grasp.
達成感
B1Sense of accomplishment.
ひしひしと
B1Acutely; keenly; strongly (feeling something).
適応する
B1To adapt; to adjust.
健気な
B2Brave, admirable, or plucky (especially of a weaker person).
感心な
B1Admirable; deserving admiration.
感心
B1Admiration, impression, or being impressed.
感心する
B1To be impressed; to admire.
