Japanese symbol for “overuse”
酷使
こくし
Romaji: kokushi
exploitation; overuse; abuse
In Japanese, overuse is 酷使, read こくし (kokushi).
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 exploitation; overuse; abuse
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “overuse”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 使いすぎ | つかいすぎ tsukaisugi | overuse; overload |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 残酷 | ざんこく zankoku | cruel; brutal; ruthless |
| 過酷 | かこく kakoku | severe; harsh; hard |
| 冷酷 | れいこく reikoku | cruelty; coldheartedness; relentless |
| 酷い | ひどい hidoi | cruel; heartless; hard |
| 酷暑 | こくしょ kokusho | intense heat; severe heat |
| 酷評 | こくひょう kokuhyou | severe criticism; sharp criticism; scathing criticism |
| 使用 | しよう shiyou | use; application; employment |
| 使う | つかう tsukau | to use (a tool, method, etc.); to make use of; to put to use |
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.