Japanese symbol for “wavering”
尻込み
しりごみ
Romaji: shirigomi
hesitation; wavering; faltering; balking
In Japanese, wavering is 尻込み, read しりごみ (shirigomi).
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, vi, vs hesitation; wavering; faltering; balking; recoil; flinching
Written forms: 尻込み、しり込み、後込み、尻ごみ. Readings: しりごみ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “wavering”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ふらふら | ふらふら furafura | wavering (in one's mind); unsteadily; indecisively |
| 躑躅 | てきちょく tekichoku | hesitation; indecision; vacillation |
| グラグラ | グラグラ guragura | wavering (e.g. over a decision); dithering; indecisively |
| 揺れ | ゆれ yure | unsettledness; instability; vacillating |
| 浮腰 | うきごし ukigoshi | wavering; unsteady |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 尻尾 | しっぽ shippo | tail (of an animal) |
| 川尻 | かわじり kawajiri | mouth of a river; lower stream |
| 塩尻 | しおじり shiojiri | cone-shaped |
| 尻拭い | しりぬぐい shirinugui | cleaning up someone else's mess; making up for someone else's mistake |
| 目尻 | めじり mejiri | outer canthus; outer corner of the eye |
| 桃尻 | ももじり momojiri | someone who is bad at horse-riding |
| 見込み | みこみ mikomi | hope; promise; possibility |
| 申し込み | もうしこみ moushikomi | application; entry; request |
See also: Chinese symbol for “wavering”.
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.