Japanese symbol for “disreputable”
曖昧
あいまい
Romaji: aimai
vague; ambiguous; unclear
In Japanese, disreputable is 曖昧, read あいまい (aimai).
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-na, n vague; ambiguous; unclear
- adj-na, n shady; disreputable
- adj-na, n fuzzy (math, comp)
Written forms: 曖昧、あい昧. Readings: あいまい.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “disreputable”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 人聞きの悪い | ひとぎきのわるい hitogikinowarui | disreputable; scandalous; disgraceful |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 曖昧さ | あいまいさ aimaisa | ambiguity |
| 曖昧模糊 | あいまいもこ aimaimoko | obscure; vague; ambiguous |
| 曖々 | あいあい aiai | dim; faint; unclear |
| 曖昧宿 | あいまいやど aimaiyado | brothel fronting as a tea house, inn, restaurant, etc. |
| 曖昧屋 | あいまいや aimaiya | brothel fronting as a tea house, inn, restaurant, etc. |
| 三昧 | さんまい sanmai | samadhi (state of intense concentration achieved through meditation) |
| 蒙昧 | もうまい moumai | ignorant; unenlightened; uncivilized |
| 愚昧 | ぐまい gumai | stupid |
See also: Chinese symbol for “disreputable”.
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.