Japanese symbol for “morose”

In Japanese, morose is ツンツン (tsuntsun).

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

1. adv, adv-to, vs aloof; morose; stuck-up; standoffish; cold; unfriendly
2. adv, adv-to, vs (smelling) strongly; pungently
3. adv, adv-to, vs spiky (esp. of a hairstyle); sticking up straight (e.g. of plant stems)
4. adv, adv-to poking (at); pecking

Written forms: —. Readings: ツンツン、つんつん.

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.