生意気|なまいきnamaiki[0]heiban (flat)

1. na-adjective, nounimpertinent; saucy; cheeky; impudent; audacious; cocky; pert; brash
   彼かれは父親ちちおやに生意気なまいきな事ことを言いった。↗

   He was impertinent to his father.

• SynonymちょこざいCasualColloquial: cheeky, smart-alecky impudence, as in 「ちょこざいな小僧め」. Old-fashioned with a period-drama flavor; in everyday speech say 「生意気」.
• SynonymこしゃくNeutralCheeky cleverness that irritates the speaker, as in 「小癪な真似を」; carries a note of loathing and is typical of scolding.
• Synonym小生意気こなまいきCasualColloquial: somewhat self-important and annoying. The 「小」 adds a contemptuous, disliking nuance; often said of children or juniors.
• Related傍若無人ぼうじゃくぶじんWrittenFour-character idiom in written style: acting as if no one else were around, as in 「傍若無人な振る舞い」. Not limited to superior–inferior relations.
• Related図々しいずうずうしいNeutralShamelessly forward, as in 「図々しい頼み」. The point is brazenly taking advantage, while 「生意気」 is about self-importance.
• Related失礼しつれいNeutralThe broadest term: simply impolite, as in 「失礼な人」. Also serves as an apology and as a word for taking one's leave.
• Related野放図のほうずWrittenWritten-leaning: unbridled, with no limits, as in 「野放図な支出」. 「生意気」 has no nuance of lacking restraint.
• Related傲慢ごうまんNeutralArrogant, as in 「傲慢な上司」. The point is looking down on people, regardless of rank, and it is stronger than 「生意気」.
• Related厚かましいあつかましいNeutralBrazen, as in 「厚かましいお願い」. Often used as a humble expression; the point is asking for things without reserve.
• Related無礼ぶれいWrittenArchaic: lacking courtesy, especially rude behavior toward one's elders. Rare today; in modern Japanese say 「無礼（ぶれい）」.
• Related僭越せんえつFormalFormal: overstepping one's proper station. Mostly a humble expression, as in 「僭越ながら申し上げます」; rarely used to reproach someone.
• Related無遠慮ぶえんりょNeutralBlunt and unreserved, as in 「無遠慮な質問」. The point is disregarding the other person's feelings, not necessarily being self-important.
• Related不躾ぶしつけNeutralRude or brash; often used humbly about oneself, as in 「不躾なお願いですが」. Can also mean abrupt or sudden.
• Related厚顔こうがんWrittenWritten style: brazen and shameless, often in 「厚顔無恥」. The focus is having no shame, not being self-important.
• Related不遜ふそんWrittenWritten style: haughty and disrespectful, as in 「不遜な態度」 — thinking highly of oneself and looking down on others. 「生意気」 is a junior being cheeky.
• Related不埒ふらちWrittenWritten and old-fashioned: immoral, beyond the pale, as in 「不埒な輩」. The point is violating moral standards.
• RelatedしゃらくさいCasualColloquial: scolds someone for getting cheeky beyond their station, as in 「しゃらくさい真似をするな」. Carries an Edo-style, period-drama flavor.
• Related猛々しいたけだけしいNeutralMainly means fierce or ferocious; its other sense, brazen shamelessness (as in 「盗人猛々しい」), is the only one close to 「生意気」.
• Related小賢しいこざかしいNeutralSmart-alecky, as in 「小賢しい言い訳」. The point is showing off one's cleverness; it can also mean sly or cunning.
• Related鉄面皮てつめんぴWrittenWritten style: extremely thick-skinned, utterly without shame — much stronger than 「生意気」, which centers on self-importance.
• Related驕傲きょうごうWrittenWritten and rare: pride and arrogance. In daily speech use 「傲慢」; it lacks the cheeky-toward-a-superior nuance of 「生意気」.
• Related驕慢きょうまんWrittenWritten and rare: haughty conceit that scorns others. In daily speech use 「傲慢」.
• RelatedいけずうずうしいCasualColloquial emphatic form of 「図々しい」, with strong dislike. The point is thick-skinnedness, not self-importance.
• Antonym謙虚けんきょNeutralAntonym: humble and modest, as in 「謙虚な姿勢」 — the opposite of the self-importance and big attitude of 「生意気」.
• Antonym控えめひかえめNeutralAntonym: reserved and restrained, the opposite of the showiness of 「生意気」. Can also mean using smaller amounts.

Use 「生意気」 for a junior or subordinate who is self-important and doesn't know their place, as in 「生意気な口をきく」. For someone who looks down on others, say 「傲慢」; for showing off cleverness, 「小賢しい」; for thick-skinned shamelessness, 「図々しい」. The opposite is 「謙虚」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 態度たいどが大おおきく、横柄おうへいなこと及および様子ようす。主おもに、目上めうえの者ものが目下めしたの者ものに対たいして使つかう。