Japanese symbol for “fright”
驚愕
きょうがく
Romaji: kyougaku
astonishment; amazement; surprise; fright
In Japanese, fright is 驚愕, read きょうがく (kyougaku).
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-no, n, vi astonishment; amazement; surprise; fright; shock
Written forms: 驚愕、驚がく. Readings: きょうがく.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “fright”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 畏怖 | いふ ifu | awe; fear; dread |
| 怯え | おびえ obie | fear; dread; fright |
| 怖気 | おぞけ ozoke | fear; dread; fright |
| 恐れ気 | おそれげ osorege | fear; dread; fright |
| ギクッと | ギクッと gikutto | (with a) start; fright; alarm |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 驚き | おどろき odoroki | surprise; astonishment; wonder |
| 驚異 | きょうい kyoui | wonder; miracle; amazement |
| 驚かす | おどろかす odorokasu | to surprise; to frighten; to create a stir |
| 驚く | おどろく odoroku | to be surprised; to be taken aback; to be amazed |
| 驚嘆 | きょうたん kyoutan | wonder; admiration; being struck with admiration |
| 愕然 | がくぜん gakuzen | astonished; shocked; amazed |
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.