Japanese symbol for “trepidation”
怯え
おびえ
Romaji: obie
fear; dread; fright; terror
In Japanese, trepidation is 怯え, read おびえ (obie).
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
- n fear; dread; fright; terror; trepidation; panic
Written forms: 怯え、脅え. Readings: おびえ.
Kanji and stroke order
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 卑怯 | ひきょう hikyou | cowardly; craven |
| 怯える | おびえる obieru | to become frightened; to be frightened (of); to be scared (of) |
| 怯む | ひるむ hirumu | to falter; to flinch (from); to recoil (from) |
| 怯懦 | きょうだ kyouda | cowardly; spineless; weak-willed |
| 卑怯者 | ひきょうもの hikyoumono | coward; chicken; yellow-belly |
See also: Chinese symbol for “trepidation”.
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.