Japanese symbol for “agony”
苦悩
くのう
Romaji: kunou
(mental) agony; anguish; suffering; distress
In Japanese, agony is 苦悩, read くのう (kunou).
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, vi, vs (mental) agony; anguish; suffering; distress
Written forms: 苦悩、苦脳. Readings: くのう.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “agony”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 悩み | なやみ nayami | trouble; troubles; worry |
| 苦痛 | くつう kutsuu | pain; agony; suffering |
| 受難 | じゅなん junan | sufferings; ordeals; agony |
| 悶え | もだえ modae | agony; anguish |
| 悶 | もん mon | agony; anguish |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 苦手 | にがて nigate | poor (at); weak (in); not very good (at) |
| 苦労 | くろう kurou | trouble; hardship; difficulty |
| 苦しみ | くるしみ kurushimi | pain; anguish; distress |
| 苦痛 | くつう kutsuu | pain; agony; suffering |
| 苦情 | くじょう kujou | complaint; troubles; objection |
| 苦しい | くるしい kurushii | painful; difficult; tough |
| 悩み | なやみ nayami | trouble; troubles; worry |
| 悩む | なやむ nayamu | to be worried; to be troubled |
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.