Japanese symbol for “detest”
憎む
にくむ
Romaji: nikumu
to hate; to detest
In Japanese, detest is 憎む, read にくむ (nikumu).
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
- v5m, vt to hate; to detest
Written forms: 憎む、悪む. Readings: にくむ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “detest”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 忌み嫌う | いみきらう imikirau | to detest; to abhor; to loathe |
| 戒める | いましめる imashimeru | to detest; to loathe |
| 否む | いやむ iyamu | to detest; to dislike |
| 忌む | いむ imu | to detest |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 憎悪 | ぞうお zouo | hatred; abhorrence; loathing |
| 憎しみ | にくしみ nikushimi | hatred |
| 憎い | にくい nikui | hateful; detestable; abominable |
| 愛憎 | あいぞう aizou | love and hate |
| 生憎 | あいにく ainiku | unfortunately; sorry, but ... |
See also: Chinese symbol for “detest”.
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.