Japanese symbol for “scathing”
痛烈
つうれつ
Romaji: tsuuretsu
severe; bitter; scathing
In Japanese, scathing is 痛烈, read つうれつ (tsuuretsu).
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
- adj-na, n severe; bitter; scathing
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “scathing”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 辛口 | からくち karakuchi | harsh; scathing |
| 辛辣 | しんらつ shinratsu | bitter (e.g. criticism); sharp; biting |
| 峻烈 | しゅんれつ shunretsu | severe; harsh; rigorous |
| 激辛 | げきから gekikara | extremely harsh (criticism, review, etc.); scathing |
| 舌鋒鋭い | ぜっぽうするどい zeppousurudoi | sharp (tongue, criticism, etc.); cutting; scathing |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 痛み | いたみ itami | pain; ache; soreness |
| 痛い | いたい itai | painful; sore |
| 頭痛 | ずつう zutsuu | headache |
| 苦痛 | くつう kutsuu | pain; agony; suffering |
| 痛感 | つうかん tsuukan | feeling keenly; fully realizing |
| 強烈 | きょうれつ kyouretsu | strong; intense; severe |
| 猛烈 | もうれつ mouretsu | fierce; intense; severe |
| 熱烈 | ねつれつ netsuretsu | ardent; passionate; vehement |
See also: Chinese symbol for “scathing”.
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.