Japanese symbol for “contending”
拮抗
きっこう
Romaji: kikkou
rivalry (between two equally strong sides); struggle for supremacy; competing (with); vying (with)
In Japanese, contending is 拮抗, read きっこう (kikkou).
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 rivalry (between two equally strong sides); struggle for supremacy; competing (with); vying (with); contending (with); being an equal match (for)
Written forms: 拮抗、頡頏、きっ抗. Readings: きっこう.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “contending”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| バッティング | バッティング battingu | clashing (of schedules, etc.); conflict; colliding |
| 頡頏 | けっこう kekkou | rivalry (between two equally strong sides); struggle for supremacy; competing (with) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 拮据 | きっきょ kikkyo | diligence; assiduity; pinching |
| 戦力拮抗 | せんりょくきっこう senryokukikkou | struggle for supremacy between evenly-matched armies (teams) |
| 拮抗筋 | きっこうきん kikkoukin | antagonist (muscle) |
| 拮抗薬 | きっこうやく kikkouyaku | antagonist (drug) |
| 拮抗作用 | きっこうさよう kikkousayou | antagonism |
| 抵抗 | ていこう teikou | resistance; opposition; standing up to |
| 対抗 | たいこう taikou | opposition; rivalry; competition |
| 抗議 | こうぎ kougi | protest; objection |
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.