Japanese symbol for “tight”
窮屈
きゅうくつ
Romaji: kyuukutsu
narrow; tight; cramped
In Japanese, tight is 窮屈, read きゅうくつ (kyuukutsu).
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 narrow; tight; cramped
- adj-na, n formal; stiff; strict; ceremonious; rigid
- adj-na, n constrained; uncomfortable
- adj-na, n tight (e.g. finances)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “tight”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| タイト | タイト taito | tight; close-fitting; snug |
| 苦しい | くるしい kurushii | straitened (circumstances); tight (financial situation); needy |
| 硬い | かたい katai | stiff; tight; wooden |
| きつい | きつい kitsui | (too) tight; constricting; close |
| 過密 | かみつ kamitsu | crammed (schedule); congested; busy |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 困窮 | こんきゅう konkyuu | poverty; need; destitution |
| 窮地 | きゅうち kyuuchi | dilemma; predicament |
| 窮状 | きゅうじょう kyuujou | distress; wretched condition |
| 窮乏 | きゅうぼう kyuubou | poverty; destitution; privation |
| 窮余 | きゅうよ kyuuyo | extremity; desperation |
| 理屈 | りくつ rikutsu | theory; reason; logic |
| 退屈 | たいくつ taikutsu | tedious; boring; dull |
| 屈辱 | くつじょく kutsujoku | disgrace; humiliation |
See also: Chinese symbol for “tight”.
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.