Japanese symbol for “headlong”
無鉄砲
むてっぽう
Romaji: muteppou
rash; reckless; headlong; foolhardy
In Japanese, headlong is 無鉄砲, read むてっぽう (muteppou).
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-na, n rash; reckless; headlong; foolhardy
Written forms: 無鉄砲、無手法. Readings: むてっぽう.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “headlong”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 真っ逆さま | まっさかさま massakasama | head over heels; headlong; head first |
| 遮二無二 | しゃにむに shanimuni | desperately; recklessly; (rushing) headlong |
| 真逆様 | まさかさま masakasama | headlong; head over heels |
| 向こう見ず | むこうみず mukoumizu | reckless; rash; headlong |
| 真っしぐら | まっしぐら masshigura | at full speed; (at) full tilt; headlong |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 無料 | むりょう muryou | free (of charge); gratuitous |
| 無理 | むり muri | unreasonable; unnatural; unjustifiable |
| 無事 | ぶじ buji | safety; security; peace |
| 無駄 | むだ muda | futility; waste; uselessness |
| 無線 | むせん musen | radio (communication) |
| 無理やり | むりやり muriyari | forcibly; by force; against one's will |
| 鉄道 | てつどう tetsudou | railroad; railway; rail transport |
| 地下鉄 | ちかてつ chikatetsu | subway; metro; underground (railway) |
| 大砲 | たいほう taihou | (large) gun; cannon; artillery |
See also: Chinese symbol for “headlong”.
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.