Japanese symbol for “defy”
逆らう
さからう
Romaji: sakarau
to go against; to oppose; to disobey; to defy
In Japanese, defy is 逆らう, read さからう (sakarau).
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
- v5u, vi to go against; to oppose; to disobey; to defy
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “defy”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 押す | おす osu | to do ... in spite of ...; to defy; to brave |
| 楯突く | たてつく tatetsuku | to defy; to disobey; to rebel against |
| 反する | はんする hansuru | to disobey (an order, teachings, etc.); to defy; to rebel |
| 歯向かう | はむかう hamukau | to strike back at; to bite back; to turn on |
| 抗する | こうする kousuru | to resist; to defy |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 逆さ | さかさ sakasa | inverted; upside down; reversed |
| 逆転 | ぎゃくてん gyakuten | reversal (of a situation); turnaround; turnabout |
| 反逆 | はんぎゃく hangyaku | treason; treachery; mutiny |
| 逆境 | ぎゃっきょう gyakkyou | adverse circumstances; unfortunate situation; adversity |
| 逆戻り | ぎゃくもどり gyakumodori | retrogression; reversal; relapse |
See also: Chinese symbol for “defy”.
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.