Japanese symbol for “tighten”
引き締める
ひきしめる
Romaji: hikishimeru
to tighten; to stiffen; to brace; to strain
In Japanese, tighten is 引き締める, read ひきしめる (hikishimeru).
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
- v1, vt to tighten; to stiffen; to brace; to strain
Written forms: 引き締める、引きしめる、引締める. Readings: ひきしめる.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “tighten”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 締める | しめる shimeru | to tie; to fasten; to tighten |
| 締め付ける | しめつける shimetsukeru | to tighten; to fasten tight; to constrict |
| 突っ張る | つっぱる tsupparu | to cramp up; to tighten; to stiffen |
| 張る | はる haru | to stretch; to spread; to strain |
| 閉まる | しまる shimaru | to tighten; to be tightened |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 取引 | とりひき torihiki | transactions; dealings; business |
| 引退 | いんたい intai | retirement |
| 割引 | わりびき waribiki | discount; reduction; rebate |
| 引き続き | ひきつづき hikitsuzuki | continuously; continually; without a break |
| 引用 | いんよう in'you | quotation; citation; reference |
| 引っ越し | ひっこし hikkoshi | moving (dwelling, office, etc.); changing residence |
| 取締役 | とりしまりやく torishimariyaku | company director; board member |
| 締め切り | しめきり shimekiri | deadline; closing; cut-off |
See also: Chinese symbol for “tighten”.
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.