飯|めしmeshi[2]odaka (tail-high)

1. nouncooked rice
2. nounmeal; food
   とにかくメシ・・・といきたいところだが、その前まえに用ようを足たすことにした。↗

   Anyhow, lunch ... is where I wanted to go but I decided to go to the toilet first.
3. nounone's living; livelihood

• Synonymご飯ごはんNeutralThe polite everyday word for cooked rice or a meal, as in 「ご飯を食べる」; 飯 is the more casual option, used especially by men.
• Synonym米飯べいはんWrittenA written/formal prose word for cooked rice, seen mainly in nutrition and statistics, as in 「米飯給食」.
• SynonymライスNeutralA loanword for rice served on a plate, typical of Western-style restaurants, as in 「カレーライス」.
• Synonym食事しょくじNeutralA neutral, polite word for a meal or dining, as in 「食事に行く」; it refers to the meal itself, not to rice.
• SynonymおまんまNeutralThe kanji spelling of ご飯 — the same word as the item above; colloquially it also serves to call someone to eat, as in 「ご飯だよ」.
• Related白米はくまいNeutralPolished white rice, usually meaning uncooked grains; contrasted with 「玄米」 (brown rice).

For rice or a meal, the polite everyday choice is 「ご飯」; 「飯」 is casual speech (「飯食った？」). Use 「食事」 when speaking formally of a meal, 「ライス」 for rice in Western restaurants, and 「白米」 for uncooked polished rice.

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

1. （めし）米べいを炊たくなど原形げんけいを残のこして調理ちょうりしたもの。
2. （めし）食事しょくじ。
3. （めし）食事しょくじをとること。