生き恥

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: Written 生き恥 and read いきはじ, it denotes the disgrace of continuing to live under profound shame.
• Basic usage: It often appears in dramatic or literary speech by a character preoccupied with honor.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• A strong literary expression
  • It is far more severe than ordinary embarrassment and judges an ongoing life as disgraceful.