Japanese symbol for “wretch”
外道
げどう
Romaji: gedou
tirthika; non-Buddhist teachings; non-Buddhist
In Japanese, wretch is 外道, read げどう (gedou).
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 tirthika; non-Buddhist teachings; non-Buddhist (Buddh)
- n heterodoxy; unorthodoxy; heresy; heretic
- n demon; devil; fiend; brute; wretch
- n type of fish one did not intend to catch
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “wretch”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 蚰蜒 | げじげじ gejigeji | contemptible person; skunk; wretch |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 海外 | かいがい kaigai | foreign; abroad; overseas |
| 外国 | がいこく gaikoku | foreign country |
| 以外 | いがい igai | excluding; except (for); apart from |
| 外交 | がいこう gaikou | diplomacy |
| 意外 | いがい igai | unexpected; surprising; unanticipated |
| 外部 | がいぶ gaibu | outside (e.g. of a building); exterior |
| 報道 | ほうどう houdou | report (of news); reporting; news |
| 道路 | どうろ douro | road; highway |
See also: Chinese symbol for “wretch”.
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.