Japanese symbol for “frustration”
挫折
ざせつ
Romaji: zasetsu
setback; failure (e.g. plans, business); frustration; discouragement
In Japanese, frustration is 挫折, read ざせつ (zasetsu).
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 setback; failure (e.g. plans, business); frustration; discouragement
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “frustration”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 焦燥 | しょうそう shousou | impatience; irritation; frustration |
| フラストレーション | フラストレーション furasutoreeshon | frustration |
| 苛立ち | いらだち iradachi | irritation; annoyance; frustration |
| 齟齬 | そご sogo | inconsistency; discord; conflict |
| 鬱憤 | うっぷん uppun | resentment; grudge; pent-up anger |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 捻挫 | ねんざ nenza | sprain; twist; wrench |
| 挫傷 | ざしょう zashou | sprain; wrench; bruise |
| 頓挫 | とんざ tonza | setback; deadlock; standstill |
| 挫ける | くじける kujikeru | to be disheartened; to lose heart; to be dispirited |
| 脳挫傷 | のうざしょう nouzashou | cerebral contusion |
| 骨折 | こっせつ kossetsu | bone fracture |
| 時折 | ときおり tokiori | sometimes; at intervals; occasionally |
| 折り返し | おりかえし orikaeshi | by return; (call or write back) without delay |
See also: Chinese symbol for “frustration”.
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.