Japanese symbol for “useless”
無用
むよう
Romaji: muyou
useless; futile
In Japanese, useless is 無用, read むよう (muyou).
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
- adj-na, n useless; futile
- adj-na, n unnecessary; needless
- adj-na, n not on business; unrelated; unauthorised; unauthorized
- adj-na, n prohibited; banned; forbidden
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “useless”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 駄目 | だめ dame | no good; not serving its purpose; useless |
| 無益 | むえき mueki | useless; futile; vain |
| 犬 | いぬ inu | counterfeit; inferior; useless |
| 徒 | いたずら itazura | useless; vain; aimless |
| 下らない | くだらない kudaranai | trivial; trifling; insignificant |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 無料 | むりょう muryou | free (of charge); gratuitous |
| 無理 | むり muri | unreasonable; unnatural; unjustifiable |
| 無事 | ぶじ buji | safety; security; peace |
| 無駄 | むだ muda | futility; waste; uselessness |
| 無線 | むせん musen | radio (communication) |
| 無理やり | むりやり muriyari | forcibly; by force; against one's will |
| 使用 | しよう shiyou | use; application; employment |
| 利用 | りよう riyou | use; utilization; utilisation |
See also: Chinese symbol for “useless”.
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.