Japanese symbol for “startle”
脅かす
おどかす
Romaji: odokasu
to threaten; to menace; to intimidate
In Japanese, startle is 脅かす, read おどかす (odokasu).
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 threaten; to menace; to intimidate
- v5s, vt to startle; to frighten; to scare
Written forms: 脅かす、嚇かす、威かす. Readings: おどかす.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “startle”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| あっと言わせる | あっといわせる attoiwaseru | to startle; to surprise; to astonish |
| 耳目を驚かす | じもくをおどろかす jimokuoodorokasu | to take by surprise; to startle; to shock |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 脅迫 | きょうはく kyouhaku | threat; menace; coercion |
| 脅威 | きょうい kyoui | threat; menace |
| 脅し | おどし odoshi | threat |
| 脅す | おどす odosu | to threaten; to menace; to frighten (into doing) |
| 脅かし | おどかし odokashi | threat |
See also: Chinese symbol for “startle”.
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.