Japanese word

きらびやか

Pronunciation

Romajikirabiyaka

Meaning

  • na-adjectivegorgeous

Example

そのドレスはきらびやかです。so no do re su wa ki ra bi ya ka de su

That dress is gorgeous.

Illustration for きらびやか (gorgeous)

More examples

祭りでは、きらびやかな衣装が観客の目を引きます。matsu ri de wa ki ra bi ya ka na i shō ga kan kyaku no me o hi ki ma su

At the festival, the gorgeous costumes catch the audience's attention.

Core concept

Describes a rich, glittering appearance that attracts attention through beauty and display.

Common phrases

  • きらびやかな装飾ki ra bi ya ka na sō shoku

    gorgeous decorations

  • きらびやかな舞台ki ra bi ya ka na bu tai

    gorgeous stage

Similar words

華やかhanayaka: Having a bright and attractive appearance that gives a lively, festive impression.
豪華gōka: Being rich in decoration or quality and suggesting considerable expense.
派手hade: Being conspicuous because of intense colors, bold decoration, or an eye-catching style.
華美kabi: Being richly and elaborately decorated, sometimes to an excessive degree.

Definition in Japanese

光り輝くように美しく、華やかで目立つさま。hika ri kagaya ku yō ni utsuku shi ku hana ya ka de me da tsu sa ma

Word origin

The native Japanese adjective きらびやか (kirabiyaka) is related to きらきら (kirakira, "sparkling") and uses the suffix やか (yaka, "showing a quality").

Usage tips

  • In Japanese, きらびやか (kirabiyaka) can praise a glamorous look as gorgeous, but its emphasis on showiness can also make it closer to gaudy than to simple beauty.

Other meanings

  • gaudyna-adjective

Opposites

Related words

  • きらびやかさkirabiyakasasplendornoun

Word lists with this word