Japanese symbol for “underestimate”
舐める
なめる
Romaji: nameru
to lick; to lap; to suck
In Japanese, underestimate is 舐める, read なめる (nameru).
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 lick; to lap; to suck
- v1, vt to taste
- v1, vt to experience (esp. a hardship)
- v1, vt to underestimate; to make light of; to look down on (someone); to make a fool of; to treat with contempt; to disparage
- v1, vt to lick (at; of flames); to burn
Written forms: 舐める、嘗める、甞める、無礼る. Readings: なめる、ナメる.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “underestimate”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 嘗めてかかる | なめてかかる nametekakaru | to look down on (someone); to make fun of; to put down |
| 見逸れる | みそれる misoreru | to underestimate (someone) |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 吮癰舐痔 | せんようしじ sen'youshiji | currying favour (favor); brown-nosing; bootlicking |
| 舐めずる | なめずる namezuru | to lick one's lips |
| 舐る | ねぶる neburu | to lick |
| 舐め舐め | なめなめ namename | licking |
| 舐め回す | なめまわす namemawasu | to lick all over; to run one's tongue over |
See also: Chinese symbol for “underestimate”.
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.