Japanese symbol for “contemptible”
卑劣
ひれつ
Romaji: hiretsu
mean; contemptible; despicable; dirty
In Japanese, contemptible is 卑劣, read ひれつ (hiretsu).
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-na, n mean; contemptible; despicable; dirty; foul; cowardly
Written forms: 卑劣、鄙劣. Readings: ひれつ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “contemptible”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 随分 | ずいぶん zuibun | terrible; horrid; contemptible |
| 醜 | しこ shiko | ugly; repulsive; detestable |
| 笑止 | しょうし shoushi | laughable; ridiculous; pitiful |
| 見下げ果てた | みさげはてた misagehateta | contemptible; despicable |
| 腐れ | くされ kusare | rotten; worthless; paltry |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 卑怯 | ひきょう hikyou | cowardly; craven |
| 卑屈 | ひくつ hikutsu | servile; subservient; obsequious |
| 男尊女卑 | だんそんじょひ dansonjohi | male domination of women; male chauvinism; subjection of women |
| 卑下 | ひげ hige | self-abasement; self-depreciation; humility |
| 卑しい | いやしい iyashii | lowborn; humble; lowly |
| 劣化 | れっか rekka | deterioration (in quality, performance, etc.); degradation; worsening |
| 劣る | おとる otoru | to be inferior to; to be less good at; to fall behind |
| 優劣 | ゆうれつ yuuretsu | (relative) merits; superiority or inferiority; quality |
See also: Chinese symbol for “contemptible”.
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.