Japanese word

やけ

Pronunciation

Romajiyake

Meaning

  • noundesperation

Example

失敗が続き、彼はやけになりました。ship pai ga tsuzu ki kare wa ya ke ni na ri ma shi ta

After repeated failures, he became desperate.

Illustration for やけ (desperation)

More examples

失敗が重なると、彼はやけになって友人の忠告を聞きませんでした。ship pai ga kasa na ru to kare wa ya ke ni na tte yū jin no chū koku o ki ki ma se n de shi ta

When his failures piled up, he became desperate and ignored his friend's advice.

Core concept

Presents desperation as giving up on sensible restraint when repeated frustration makes reckless behavior seem acceptable.

Common phrases

  • やけになるya ke ni na ru

    become desperate

  • やけを起こすya ke o o ko su

    act recklessly

Similar words

自暴自棄jibōjiki: A state of abandoning hope and acting without concern for the consequences.
やけくそyakekuso: A state of despair that makes a person disregard the results of their actions.
捨て鉢sutebachi: A state of losing hope and resorting to desperate measures.
やけっぱちyakeppachi: An informal expression for intense desperation that produces reckless behavior.

Definition in Japanese

困難に耐える気力を失い、どうにでもなれと投げ出す心。kon nan ni ta e ru ki ryoku o ushina i dō ni de mo na re to na ge da su kokoro

Word origin

やけ (yake, "desperation") is traditionally represented by 自棄 (yake, "self-abandonment"); 自 (ji, "self") and 棄 (ki, "discard") show the word's central notion.

Usage tips

  • The related expression やけっぱち (yakeppachi) is a colloquial emphatic form, so it gives dialogue a stronger informal tone than やけ (yake) alone.

Other meanings

  • despairnoun
  • recklessnessnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word