Japanese symbol for “suffocating”
息苦しい
いきぐるしい
Romaji: ikigurushii
choking; suffocating; stifling
In Japanese, suffocating is 息苦しい, read いきぐるしい (ikigurushii).
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-i choking; suffocating; stifling
- adj-i oppressive; heavy
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “suffocating”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 切ない | せつない setsunai | oppressive; suffocating; miserable |
| 窒息性 | ちっそくせい chissokusei | suffocating; asphyxiating |
| 噎せっぽい | むせっぽい museppoi | choking; stifling; suffocating |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 息子 | むすこ musuko | son |
| 消息 | しょうそく shousoku | news (from someone); letter; contact |
| 利息 | りそく risoku | interest (on a loan, deposit etc.) |
| 窒息 | ちっそく chissoku | suffocation; choking; asphyxia |
| 休息 | きゅうそく kyuusoku | rest; relief; relaxation |
| 生息 | せいそく seisoku | inhabiting; living |
| 苦手 | にがて nigate | poor (at); weak (in); not very good (at) |
| 苦労 | くろう kurou | trouble; hardship; difficulty |
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.