Japanese symbol for “refute”
言い負かす
いいまかす
Romaji: iimakasu
to defeat (someone) in an argument; to argue (someone) down; to confute (someone); to refute (someone)
In Japanese, refute is 言い負かす, read いいまかす (iimakasu).
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
- v5s, vt to defeat (someone) in an argument; to argue (someone) down; to confute (someone); to refute (someone)
Written forms: 言い負かす、言負かす、言いまかす. Readings: いいまかす.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “refute”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 駁する | ばくする bakusuru | to oppose someone's opinion; to refute; to contradict |
| 突き崩す | つきくずす tsukikuzusu | to refute; to pick apart; to undermine |
| 打ち崩す | うちくずす uchikuzusu | to break (an established notion); to refute (e.g. a theory) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 言う | いう iu | to say; to utter; to declare |
| 言葉 | ことば kotoba | language; dialect |
| 発言 | はつげん hatsugen | statement; remark; observation |
| 宣言 | せんげん sengen | declaration; proclamation; announcement |
| 言語 | げんご gengo | language |
| 一言 | ひとこと hitokoto | single word; a few words; brief comment |
| 負け | まけ make | defeat; loss; losing (a game) |
| 負担 | ふたん futan | burden; load; responsibility |
See also: Chinese symbol for “refute”.
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.