Japanese symbol for “contempt”
軽蔑
けいべつ
Romaji: keibetsu
contempt; scorn; disdain; despising
In Japanese, contempt is 軽蔑, read けいべつ (keibetsu).
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, vs, vt contempt; scorn; disdain; despising; looking down on; slighting
Written forms: 軽蔑、軽べつ. Readings: けいべつ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “contempt”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 侮辱 | ぶじょく bujoku | insult; affront; slight |
| 軽視 | けいし keishi | making light of; thinking little of; slighting |
| 蔑視 | べっし besshi | contempt; derision; slight |
| 侮蔑 | ぶべつ bubetsu | scorn; disdain; contempt |
| 蔑み | さげすみ sagesumi | contempt; disdain; scorn |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 気軽 | きがる kigaru | carefree; buoyant; lighthearted |
| 手軽 | てがる tegaru | easy; simple; informal |
| 軽い | かるい karui | light (i.e. not heavy); feeling light (i.e. offering little resistance, moving easily) |
| 軽減 | けいげん keigen | abatement; reduction |
| 軽傷 | けいしょう keishou | minor injury |
| 軽視 | けいし keishi | making light of; thinking little of; slighting |
| 蔑視 | べっし besshi | contempt; derision; slight |
| 侮蔑 | ぶべつ bubetsu | scorn; disdain; contempt |
See also: Chinese symbol for “contempt”.
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.