Japanese symbol for “underdog”
負け犬
まけいぬ
Romaji: makeinu
loser; failure; underdog; unsuccessful person
In Japanese, underdog is 負け犬, read まけいぬ (makeinu).
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 loser; failure; underdog; unsuccessful person; non-achiever; loser dog
- n unmarried and childless older woman
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “underdog”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| アンダードッグ | アンダードッグ andaadoggu | underdog |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 負け | まけ make | defeat; loss; losing (a game) |
| 負担 | ふたん futan | burden; load; responsibility |
| 勝負 | しょうぶ shoubu | victory or defeat |
| 負傷 | ふしょう fushou | injury; wound |
| 負債 | ふさい fusai | debt; liabilities |
| 負う | おう ou | to carry on one's back; to bear; to shoulder |
| 愛犬 | あいけん aiken | pet dog; beloved dog |
| 飼い犬 | かいいぬ kaiinu | pet dog |
See also: Chinese symbol for “underdog”.
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.