Japanese symbol for “shriek”
悲鳴
ひめい
Romaji: himei
shriek; scream
In Japanese, shriek is 悲鳴, read ひめい (himei).
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 shriek; scream
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “shriek”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 叫ぶ | さけぶ sakebu | to shout; to cry (out); to scream |
| 叫び | さけび sakebi | shout; cry; outcry |
| 絶叫 | ぜっきょう zekkyou | scream; shriek; shout |
| 金切り声 | かなきりごえ kanakirigoe | shrill voice; piercing cry; shriek |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 悲劇 | ひげき higeki | tragedy; tragic drama; tragic play |
| 悲しみ | かなしみ kanashimi | sadness; sorrow; grief |
| 悲惨 | ひさん hisan | disastrous; tragic; miserable |
| 悲しい | かなしい kanashii | sad; miserable; unhappy |
| 悲観 | ひかん hikan | pessimism; (taking a) gloomy view; discouragement |
| 鳴る | なる naru | to sound; to ring; to resound |
| 鳴り | なり nari | ringing; sound |
| 鳴き声 | なきごえ nakigoe | cry (of an animal); call; chirp |
See also: Chinese symbol for “shriek”.
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.