Japanese symbol for “barbed”
刺々しい
とげとげしい
Romaji: togetogeshii
sharp (words); harsh (manner, tone, etc.); hostile (mood, attitude, etc.); cutting (remarks)
In Japanese, barbed is 刺々しい, read とげとげしい (togetogeshii).
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
- adj-i sharp (words); harsh (manner, tone, etc.); hostile (mood, attitude, etc.); cutting (remarks); barbed; stinging
- adj-i spiky; prickly; jagged; biting (e.g. wind)
Written forms: 刺々しい、刺刺しい、棘々しい、棘棘しい. Readings: とげとげしい、トゲトゲしい.
Kanji and stroke order
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 刺激 | しげき shigeki | stimulus; stimulation; irritation (esp. of the body, e.g. skin, eyes) |
| 名刺 | めいし meishi | business card |
| 刺身 | さしみ sashimi | sashimi (raw sliced fish, shellfish or crustaceans) |
| 風刺 | ふうし fuushi | satire; irony; sarcasm |
| 刺す | さす sasu | to pierce; to stab; to prick |
| 刺さる | ささる sasaru | to stick into (of something with a sharp point); to prick; to pierce |
See also: Chinese symbol for “barbed”.
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.