Japanese symbol for “overpower”
圧倒
あっとう
Romaji: attou
to overwhelm (e.g. an opponent); to overpower; to crush; to defeat completely
In Japanese, overpower is 圧倒, read あっとう (attou).
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, vs, vt to overwhelm (e.g. an opponent); to overpower; to crush; to defeat completely
- n, vs, vt to overwhelm (someone with emotion); to move; to impress; to fill with emotion
- n, vs, vt to intimidate; to frighten; to threaten
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “overpower”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 押す | おす osu | to overwhelm; to overpower; to put (someone) under pressure |
| 屈する | くっする kussuru | to subdue; to overpower |
| 圧伏 | あっぷく appuku | overpower; subdue; keep down |
| 屠る | ほふる hofuru | to defeat soundly; to overpower; to vanquish |
| 拉ぐ | ひしぐ hishigu | to overpower; to beat; to crush |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 圧力 | あつりょく atsuryoku | pressure |
| 気圧 | きあつ kiatsu | atmospheric pressure; air pressure |
| 圧縮 | あっしゅく asshuku | compression |
| 圧倒的 | あっとうてき attouteki | overwhelming |
| 血圧 | けつあつ ketsuatsu | blood pressure |
| 弾圧 | だんあつ dan'atsu | oppression; suppression; pressure |
| 面倒 | めんどう mendou | trouble; bother |
| 倒産 | とうさん tousan | (corporate) bankruptcy; insolvency; commercial failure |
See also: Chinese symbol for “overpower”.
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.