Japanese symbol for “despair”
絶望
ぜつぼう
Romaji: zetsubou
despair; hopelessness
In Japanese, despair is 絶望, read ぜつぼう (zetsubou).
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-no, n, vi despair; hopelessness
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “despair”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 失望 | しつぼう shitsubou | disappointment; despair |
| 悲観 | ひかん hikan | pessimism; (taking a) gloomy view; discouragement |
| 失意 | しつい shitsui | disappointment; despair; despondency |
| 闇 | やみ yami | bewilderment; despair; hopelessness |
| 自暴自棄 | じぼうじき jiboujiki | desperation; despair; self-abandonment |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 絶対 | ぜったい zettai | absolutely; definitely; unconditionally |
| 絶好 | ぜっこう zekkou | best; ideal; perfect |
| 中絶 | ちゅうぜつ chuuzetsu | abortion |
| 絶滅 | ぜつめつ zetsumetsu | extinction; extermination |
| 絶賛 | ぜっさん zessan | high praise; great admiration; acclaim |
| 希望 | きぼう kibou | hope; wish; aspiration |
| 要望 | ようぼう youbou | demand for; request |
| 望む | のぞむ nozomu | to desire; to want; to wish for |
See also: Chinese symbol for “despair”.
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.