Nuance Dictionary / Emotions & Feelings
아쉬움 aswium
The lingering, hollow frustration of falling agonizingly short of a win, a goal, or a top score.
What does 아쉬움 mean?
아쉬움 (aswium) means: The lingering, hollow frustration of falling agonizingly short of a win, a goal, or a top score.
Speakers use this noun when describing the emotional residue left after nearly winning or succeeding, as seen in an expression like a look mixed with it. It appears in contexts where someone falls short of a goal, leaving them with an unresolved feeling. It pairs with verbs and descriptors of feeling, such as experiencing or showing it in one's expression or gaze.
When athletes or competitors miss the mark by a narrow margin, this word can capture the specific sting of a lost opportunity that could have gone either way.
When athletes or competitors miss the mark by a narrow margin, this word can capture the specific sting of a lost opportunity that could have gone either way.
Other sides of 아쉬움
◆ The Parting Pinch — Speakers use this at the close of meetings, farewells, or departures when time has run out too soon. It appears in contexts involving lingering looks and expressions of reluctance to leave. It combines with terms indicating a lingering state or feeling.
Can convey a soft, wistful reluctance that lingers after a parting, making a farewell feel less abrupt.
◆ The Unfulfilled Craving — Speakers reach for this when an experience, meal, or purchase leaves a subtle gap, as if an essential element was left out. It turns up in descriptions of a lingering feeling that more should have been there, or when someone surveys the results of an activity and senses an omission. It pairs with expressions of feeling or remaining, such as 느끼다 and 남다, and appears alongside watchful expressions like 눈빛 or lingering gestures.
This can sound like a quiet hesitation, as if the speaker is reluctant to fully dismiss an experience that felt short of satisfying.
Can convey a soft, wistful reluctance that lingers after a parting, making a farewell feel less abrupt.
◆ The Unfulfilled Craving — Speakers reach for this when an experience, meal, or purchase leaves a subtle gap, as if an essential element was left out. It turns up in descriptions of a lingering feeling that more should have been there, or when someone surveys the results of an activity and senses an omission. It pairs with expressions of feeling or remaining, such as 느끼다 and 남다, and appears alongside watchful expressions like 눈빛 or lingering gestures.
This can sound like a quiet hesitation, as if the speaker is reluctant to fully dismiss an experience that felt short of satisfying.
How it's actually used
- 아쉬움이 섞인 눈빛.
a-swi-um-i seok-gin nun-bit.
A gaze mixed with a sense of lingering regret or falling short.
💡 Describes a look reflecting the feeling of a missed chance. - 아쉬움을 느끼다.
a-swi-u-m-eul neu-kkida.
To feel a sense of falling short or lingering regret.
💡 Describes the internal experience of missing out on a goal. - 그는…아직도 뭔가 아쉬움이 남은 표정으로 가게 주위를 서성거리고 있었다.
geu-neun…a-jik-do mwon-ga a-swi-um-i nam-eun pyo-jeong-u-ro ga-ge ju-wi-eul seo-seong-go-ri-go is-seot-da.
He was lingering around the shop with an expression that still showed a sense of lingering disappointment.
💡 Shows someone unable to let go of an unresolved outcome.