Japanese symbol for “defeat”
負け
まけ
Romaji: make
defeat; loss; losing (a game)
In Japanese, defeat is 負け, read まけ (make).
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 defeat; loss; losing (a game)
- suf failing to live up to (one's name, looks, etc.)
- n discount; loss (on a sale)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “defeat”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 敗北 | はいぼく haiboku | defeat; loss; reverse |
| 敗戦 | はいせん haisen | defeat; lost battle; losing a war |
| 打倒 | だとう datou | overthrow; defeat; bringing down |
| 破る | やぶる yaburu | to defeat; to beat |
| 負かす | まかす makasu | to defeat |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 負担 | ふたん futan | burden; load; responsibility |
| 勝負 | しょうぶ shoubu | victory or defeat |
| 負傷 | ふしょう fushou | injury; wound |
| 負債 | ふさい fusai | debt; liabilities |
| 負う | おう ou | to carry on one's back; to bear; to shoulder |
See also: Chinese symbol for “defeat”.
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.