Godan verb, transitive verb

  1. to be too much for one, to find unmanageable, to be beyond one's control, to not know what to do with.

Variations

Pronunciation Kanji Kana Is Common
 
 
持て余す もてあます
 
 
 
 
持てあます もてあます
 
 
 
もて余す もてあます

Contained Kanji Breakdown

hold, have
も.つ ジ もち (3rd, N4)
hand, hand radical (no. 64)
シュ
Buddhist temple
てら ジ (2nd, N2)
soil, earth, ground
ド つち は (1st, N5)
measurement, tenth of a shaku, a little
スン す みき (6th, N1)
too much, myself, surplus
ヨ あま.る あんま.り (5th, N3)
to assemble. to gather together
シュウ あつまる
person
ひと ニン ジン (1st, N5)
one, one radical (no.1)
イチ いっ ひと- (1st, N5)
tree (木) variant