Japanese symbol for “lifeless”
虚しい
むなしい
Romaji: munashii
empty; void; vacant
In Japanese, lifeless is 虚しい, read むなしい (munashii).
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-i empty; void; vacant
- adj-i vain; fruitless; futile; ineffective
- adj-i lifeless
Written forms: 虚しい、空しい. Readings: むなしい.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “lifeless”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ダル | ダル daru | dull; lifeless; boring |
| 気の抜けた | きのぬけた kinonuketa | insipid; flat; dull |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 謙虚 | けんきょ kenkyo | modest; humble |
| 虚構 | きょこう kyokou | fiction; fabrication; concoction |
| 虚偽 | きょぎ kyogi | falsehood; untruth; lie |
| 虚無 | きょむ kyomu | nihility; nothingness |
| 空虚 | くうきょ kuukyo | emptiness; hollowness; vacancy |
| 虚弱 | きょじゃく kyojaku | feebleness; weakness; imbecility |
See also: Chinese symbol for “lifeless”.
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.