Japanese symbol for “derision”
冷笑
れいしょう
Romaji: reishou
sneer; derision; scornful laugh; cold smile
In Japanese, derision is 冷笑, read れいしょう (reishou).
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 sneer; derision; scornful laugh; cold smile
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “derision”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 蔑視 | べっし besshi | contempt; derision; slight |
| 愚弄 | ぐろう gurou | mockery; derision; ridicule |
| 嘲笑 | ちょうしょう choushou | scornful laughter; ridicule; derision |
| 冷嘲 | れいちょう reichou | sneer; derision; scornful laugh |
| 漫罵 | まんば manba | revilement; derision |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 冷静 | れいせい reisei | calmness; composure; coolness |
| 冷蔵庫 | れいぞうこ reizouko | refrigerator; fridge |
| 冷凍 | れいとう reitou | freezing; cold storage; refrigeration |
| 冷戦 | れいせん reisen | cold war; the Cold War |
| 冷房 | れいぼう reibou | air conditioning; air cooling |
| 冷たい | つめたい tsumetai | cold (to the touch); chilly; icy |
| 笑顔 | えがお egao | smiling face; smile |
| 笑い | わらい warai | laugh; laughter |
See also: Chinese symbol for “derision”.
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.