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I saw that one of the definitions of ざわざわ (though it doesn't seem to be a
common use from what I've seen, but I could be wrong) is restless, uneasy or
anxious.

Here is the definition I found:

> 気持が落ち着かないさま。 「―した散漫な不安」

In the dictionary, 不安 also shares the same meaning: anxious, uneasy, etc.

So, what's the difference between both words? Is it a matter of nuance?

Thanks!
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2018-10-30T02:11:21.107
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2018-10-30T12:58:36.650
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question
meaning nuances
What is the difference between 不安 and ざわざわ
When you look up a word in a dictionary, let's always pay attention to its
_word class_. Asking about the difference between 不安 and ざわざわ is like asking
about the difference between "explosive" and "kaboom". You know they are very
different; the former is a noun that works also as an adjective, and the
latter is an onomatopoeia (sound of an explosion). They belong to different
word classes and thus they are not interchangeable.

Now, 不安 is a **noun** and a **na-adjective**. When it works as a noun, it
means "anxiety". When it works as a na-adjective, it means "anxious".

ざわざわ is an **onomatopoeic adverb** and a **suru-verb**. When it works as an
onomatopoeia, it represents a sound -- a noise made by people who are confused
and/or anxious, like in the picture below. See [this
article](https://www.tofugu.com/japanese/japanese-onomatopoeia/) for how
onomatopoeic adverbs work in Japanese. When it works as a suru-verb, it means
"to buzz (out of anxiety)", "to feel anxiety", "to become uneasy", etc.

In addition, since ざわざわ is an onomatopoeia, it tends to be used to describe a
temporary anxiety, confusion, etc. 不安 can be longstanding.

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/iutun.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/iutun.png)
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answer