Japanese symbol for “gloom”
曇り
くもり
Romaji: kumori
cloudiness; cloudy weather
In Japanese, gloom is 曇り, read くもり (kumori).
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 cloudiness; cloudy weather
- n fog (on a mirror, glasses, etc.); cloud (e.g. in marble); blur; mist; shadow; dimness
- n gloom; dejection
Written forms: 曇り、曇. Readings: くもり.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “gloom”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 憂鬱 | ゆううつ yuuutsu | depression; melancholy; dejection |
| 陰影 | いんえい in'ei | shadow; shade; shading |
| 憂さ | うさ usa | gloom; sadness; melancholy |
| 陰り | かげり kageri | shadow (e.g. on someone's happiness); cloud; shade |
| 陰 | かげ kage | gloom (in someone's expression, nature, etc.); darkness |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 曇り空 | くもりぞら kumorizora | cloudy sky; overcast sky |
| 曇る | くもる kumoru | to get cloudy; to cloud over; to become overcast |
| 薄曇り | うすぐもり usugumori | slightly cloudy |
| 曇天 | どんてん donten | cloudy sky; overcast sky; cloudy weather |
| 優曇華 | うどんげ udonge | udumbara (mythical Indian plant often identified with the cluster fig, Ficus glomerata) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “gloom”.
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.