Japanese symbol for “dregs”
屑
くず
Romaji: kuzu
waste; scrap; garbage; dregs
In Japanese, dregs is 屑, read くず (kuzu).
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 waste; scrap; garbage; dregs
- n scum; piece of trash; loser
Written forms: 屑. Readings: くず、クズ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “dregs”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 汚泥 | おでい odei | sludge; slime; dregs |
| 残滓 | ざんし zanshi | remains; dregs; vestiges |
| 澱 | おり ori | dregs; lees; grounds |
| 滓 | かす kasu | dregs; sediment; grounds |
| 残渣 | ざんさ zansa | dregs; sediment; residue |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 星屑 | ほしくず hoshikuzu | (countless) stars in the night sky |
| 藻屑 | もくず mokuzu | scraps of seaweed |
| 落屑 | らくせつ rakusetsu | desquamation; skin peeling |
| 砕屑 | さいせつ saisetsu | clastic |
| 金屑 | かなくず kanakuzu | scrap metal |
| 屑屋 | くずや kuzuya | ragman; junkman; garbage man |
See also: Chinese symbol for “dregs”.
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.