Japanese symbol for “reluctance”
抵抗
ていこう
Romaji: teikou
resistance; opposition; standing up to
In Japanese, reluctance is 抵抗, read ていこう (teikou).
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, vi, vs resistance; opposition; standing up to
- n, vi, vs reluctance; repulsion; repugnance
- n resistance; drag; friction (physics)
- n electrical resistance (elec)
- n resistor (elec)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “reluctance”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 未練 | みれん miren | lingering attachment; lingering affection; regret |
| 難色 | なんしょく nanshoku | disapproval; reluctance; unwillingness |
| 惜しげ | おしげ oshige | reluctance; regret; frugality |
| リラクタンス | リラクタンス rirakutansu | reluctance (to do something) |
| 抵抗感 | ていこうかん teikoukan | antipathy; reluctance; resistance |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 大抵 | たいてい taitei | mostly; ordinarily; usually |
| 抵当 | ていとう teitou | mortgage; security; hypothec |
| 抵触 | ていしょく teishoku | infringement (of a law, treaty, etc.); contravention; running afoul |
| 並大抵 | なみたいてい namitaitei | ordinary; average; run-of-the-mill |
| 抵当権 | ていとうけん teitouken | mortgage; right of pledge; lien |
| 対抗 | たいこう taikou | opposition; rivalry; competition |
| 抗議 | こうぎ kougi | protest; objection |
| 反抗 | はんこう hankou | opposition; resistance; insubordination |
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.