Japanese symbol for “floundering”
低迷
ていめい
Romaji: teimei
hanging low (of clouds)
In Japanese, floundering is 低迷, read ていめい (teimei).
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 hanging low (of clouds)
- n, vi, vs remaining low (of sales, stock prices, etc.); remaining sluggish (of the economy, market, etc.); hovering (around a low level); floundering; slump; depression
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “floundering”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ジタバタ | ジタバタ jitabata | (kicking and) struggling; wriggling; floundering |
| バタバタ | バタバタ batabata | (running) with a clatter; noisily; thrashing (around) |
| 藻掻き | もがき mogaki | struggle; writhing; wriggling |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 最低 | さいてい saitei | least; lowest; minimum |
| 低下 | ていか teika | fall; decline; lowering |
| 低い | ひくい hikui | low (rank, degree, value, content, quality, etc.) |
| 低温 | ていおん teion | low temperature |
| 最低限 | さいていげん saiteigen | minimum |
| 迷惑 | めいわく meiwaku | trouble; bother; annoyance |
| 迷う | まよう mayou | to lose one's way; to get lost; to go astray |
| 迷子 | まいご maigo | lost child; lost person; stray child |
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.