Japanese symbol for “disappointment”
失望
しつぼう
Romaji: shitsubou
disappointment; despair
In Japanese, disappointment is 失望, read しつぼう (shitsubou).
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, vi, vs disappointment; despair
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “disappointment”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 失意 | しつい shitsui | disappointment; despair; despondency |
| 悲観 | ひかん hikan | pessimism; (taking a) gloomy view; discouragement |
| 落胆 | らくたん rakutan | discouragement; despondency; dejection |
| すか | すか suka | disappointment; let-down |
| 拍子抜け | ひょうしぬけ hyoushinuke | anticlimax; let-down; disappointment |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 失敗 | しっぱい shippai | failure; mistake; blunder |
| 損失 | そんしつ sonshitsu | loss (of assets, profit, etc.) |
| 失う | うしなう ushinau | to lose |
| 失業 | しつぎょう shitsugyou | unemployment |
| 失礼 | しつれい shitsurei | discourtesy; impoliteness |
| 喪失 | そうしつ soushitsu | loss; forfeit |
| 希望 | きぼう kibou | hope; wish; aspiration |
| 絶望 | ぜつぼう zetsubou | despair; hopelessness |
See also: Chinese symbol for “disappointment”.
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.