窮屈
きゅうくつ
cramped; tight; stiff; constrained; formal and uneasy
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Examples
この靴は少し窮屈だ。
このくつはすこしきゅうくつだ。
These shoes are a bit tight.
列車のコンパートメントはすぐ窮屈になる。
れっしゃのコンパートメントはすぐきゅうくつになる。
Train compartments soon get cramped.
堅苦しい席は窮屈で苦手だ。
かたくるしいせきはきゅうくつでにがてだ。
I can't stand stiff formal occasions — they feel so constraining.
Common patterns
- 窮屈な服
- tight clothes
- 窮屈な思いをする
- to feel constrained
- 窮屈に感じる
- to find something stifling
Memory tip
Physically tight (clothes, a seat, a room) and socially stifling (strict rules, formal company). 狭い is only about size; 窮屈 always adds the discomfort of being hemmed in.
Kanji in this word
Quick check
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What does 窮屈 mean?