Arabic word sheet
حَرَجٌ
unease; fault, blame
- Type
- noun
- Root
- ح ر ج
Meaning and usage
Tightness, difficulty
The situation of someone who is hemmed in, caught in a difficulty with no clear way out.
وَقَعَ التَّاجِرُ فِي حَرَجٍ بَعْدَ خَسَارَتِهِ.
The merchant found himself in difficulty after his loss.
Fault, wrong one can be blamed for
A wrong for which one can be blamed. It is used above all to say that there is no harm in doing a thing.
مَا رَأَى الْمُدِيرُ حَرَجًا فِي تَأْخِيرِ الِاجْتِمَاعِ.
The manager saw nothing wrong in postponing the meeting.
Embarrassment modern usage
Today: the awkward feeling one has in front of others when a situation makes one ill at ease.
شَعَرَتْ لَيْلَى بِحَرَجٍ أَمَامَ الضُّيُوفِ.
Layla felt embarrassed in front of the guests.
Word family
What the root means ح ر ج
The root is about narrowness, a tight spot one cannot get through. From it come the difficulty one is caught in, the fault that puts one in a bind, what is narrow, and the thicket of close-set trees.
narrow, tight; (of a situation) awkward, critical
حَرِجٌ
thicket of close-set trees
حَرَجَةٌ
Synonyms
narrowness, distress
ضِيقٌ
Broader: any narrowness, of a place, of means or of mood, with no idea of fault.
Opposites
ease, roominess
سَعَةٌ