Japanese symbol for “abscess”
膿瘍
のうよう
Romaji: nouyou
abscess
In Japanese, abscess is 膿瘍, read のうよう (nouyou).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n abscess (med)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “abscess”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 腫れ物 | はれもの haremono | swelling; boil; abscess |
| 出来物 | できもの dekimono | tumour; tumor; growth |
| 腫物 | しゅもつ shumotsu | swelling; boil; abscess |
| 膿腫 | のうしゅ noushu | abscess; pus-filled swelling |
| 糜爛 | びらん biran | sore; erosion; ulceration |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 化膿 | かのう kanou | suppuration; festering; purulence |
| 膿む | うむ umu | to fester; to form pus |
| 蓄膿症 | ちくのうしょう chikunoushou | empyema |
| 膿疱 | のうほう nouhou | pustule; pustula |
| 歯槽膿漏 | しそうのうろう shisounourou | periodontitis; pyorrhea; pyorrhoea |
| 腫瘍 | しゅよう shuyou | tumor; tumour; neoplasm |
| 潰瘍 | かいよう kaiyou | ulcer |
| 胃潰瘍 | いかいよう ikaiyou | stomach ulcer; gastric ulcer |
See also: Chinese symbol for “abscess”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.