Japanese symbol for “dull”
鈍い
にぶい
Romaji: nibui
dull (e.g. a knife); blunt
In Japanese, dull is 鈍い, read にぶい (nibui).
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-i dull (e.g. a knife); blunt
- adj-i thickheaded; obtuse; stupid
- adj-i dull (sound, color, etc.); dim (light)
- adj-i slow; sluggish; inert; lethargic
- adj-i insensitive; dull (e.g. reflexes); unperceptive; unfeeling
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “dull”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 退屈 | たいくつ taikutsu | tedious; boring; dull |
| 鈍感 | どんかん donkan | thickheaded; insensitive; dull |
| 鈍 | どん don | dull; slow; stupid |
| 緩慢 | かんまん kanman | slow; sluggish; dull |
| 暇 | ひま hima | slow (business); slack; dull |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 鈍感 | どんかん donkan | thickheaded; insensitive; dull |
| 鈍器 | どんき donki | blunt weapon |
| 鈍化 | どんか donka | becoming dull; slowing down |
| 鈍る | にぶる niburu | to become blunt; to grow dull |
See also: Chinese symbol for “dull”.
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.