Japanese symbol for “wiry”

In Japanese, wiry is チリチリ (chirichiri).

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

1. adj-na, adj-no, adv frizzy (hair); wiry; kinky; curled up (leaves, etc.); shrivelled up
2. adv, adv-to sizzling; frizzling
3. adv, adv-to, vs stingingly (of heat or cold); painfully; piercingly; bitingly
4. adv, adv-to, vs cowering (in fear); shrinking back; being petrified

Written forms: —. Readings: チリチリ、ちりちり.

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.