Japanese symbol for “gloat”
ほくそ笑む
ほくそえむ
Romaji: hokusoemu
to chuckle to oneself; to gloat (over)
In Japanese, gloat is ほくそ笑む, read ほくそえむ (hokusoemu).
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
- v5m, vi to chuckle to oneself; to gloat (over)
Written forms: ほくそ笑む、北叟笑む. Readings: ほくそえむ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “gloat”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 悦に入る | えつにいる etsuniiru | to be pleased; to gloat; to glow with self-satisfaction |
| 善がる | よがる yogaru | to be satisfied; to be pleased; to be proud |
| 悦に浸る | えつにひたる etsunihitaru | to be pleased; to gloat; to glow with self-satisfaction |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 笑顔 | えがお egao | smiling face; smile |
| 笑い | わらい warai | laugh; laughter |
| 笑う | わらう warau | to laugh |
| 微笑 | びしょう bishou | smile |
| 笑い声 | わらいごえ waraigoe | (sound of) laughter; laughing voice |
| 苦笑 | くしょう kushou | bitter smile; wry smile; strained laugh |
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.