Japanese symbol for “anguish”
悩み
なやみ
Romaji: nayami
trouble; troubles; worry; distress
In Japanese, anguish is 悩み, read なやみ (nayami).
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 trouble; troubles; worry; distress; sorrows; anguish
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “anguish”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 苦しみ | くるしみ kurushimi | pain; anguish; distress |
| 苦悩 | くのう kunou | (mental) agony; anguish; suffering |
| 憂い | うれい urei | sorrow; grief; anguish |
| 悲嘆 | ひたん hitan | grief; sorrow; anguish |
| 苦渋 | くじゅう kujuu | bitterness; distress; pain |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 悩む | なやむ nayamu | to be worried; to be troubled |
| 苦悩 | くのう kunou | (mental) agony; anguish; suffering |
| 煩悩 | ぼんのう bonnou | worldly desires; evil passions; appetites of the flesh |
| 悩ます | なやます nayamasu | to afflict; to torment; to harass |
| 悩ましい | なやましい nayamashii | seductive; carnal; enchanting |
See also: Chinese symbol for “anguish”.
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.