chuunibyou

C3H4U1U1N1I1B3Y4O1U1

noun

The often edgy or pretentious behavior of early adolescents who want to stand out and who have convinced themselves they have hidden knowledge or secret powers, characterized as a sickness.

OriginJapanese 中二病 →
Scrabble 20
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Meanings

nounchuunibyou (countable and uncountable, plural chuunibyou)

alternative chūnibyō

  1. derogatoryslangsometimesuncountablelifestyleThe often edgy or pretentious behavior of early adolescents who want to stand out and who have convinced themselves they have hidden knowledge or secret powers, characterized as a sickness.
  2. countablederogatoryslangsometimeslifestyleOne who acts in a manner typical of chuunibyou.

Origin

  1. Japanese中二病
  2. Englishchuunibyou

Borrowed from Japanese 中二病 (chūnibyō, literally “middle school second-year syndrome”).

More words from Japanese

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

chuunibyou. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chuunibyou

MLA

“chuunibyou.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chuunibyou. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “chuunibyou,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chuunibyou.

Source: chuunibyou on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.