Japanese symbol for “torment”
苦しめる
くるしめる
Romaji: kurushimeru
to torment; to pain; to inflict (physical) pain; to hurt
In Japanese, torment is 苦しめる, read くるしめる (kurushimeru).
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 torment; to pain; to inflict (physical) pain; to hurt
- v1, vt to harass; to cause (emotional) pain; to afflict; to distress; to bother; to trouble
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “torment”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 苦痛 | くつう kutsuu | pain; agony; suffering |
| 刻む | きざむ kizamu | to torment |
| 悩ます | なやます nayamasu | to afflict; to torment; to harass |
| 食う | くう kuu | to tease; to torment; to taunt |
| 痛めつける | いためつける itametsukeru | to torment; to punish; to treat harshly |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 苦手 | にがて nigate | poor (at); weak (in); not very good (at) |
| 苦労 | くろう kurou | trouble; hardship; difficulty |
| 苦しみ | くるしみ kurushimi | pain; anguish; distress |
| 苦痛 | くつう kutsuu | pain; agony; suffering |
| 苦情 | くじょう kujou | complaint; troubles; objection |
| 苦しい | くるしい kurushii | painful; difficult; tough |
See also: Chinese symbol for “torment”.
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.