Translation guide
A byword is a person, place, or thing that becomes widely known as a typical example of a quality, or a common saying. This guide helps you express these ideas naturally in Japanese.
To say that someone or something is so closely associated with a particular trait that their name becomes synonymous with it.
His name has become a byword for integrity.
This region is a byword for wine.
Used as a standalone noun meaning 'synonym' or 'byword'. Often appears in the pattern AはBの代名詞だ (A is synonymous with B).
He is a byword for hard work.
Means 'symbol' or 'emblem'. It can be used when something is a representative example of a quality, though it is slightly less direct than 代名詞.
The company is seen as a byword for innovation.
Means 'known for ~'. It is a more general expression and does not carry the same weight as 'byword', but can be used in similar contexts.
The town is a byword for beautiful gardens.
To refer to a well-known phrase or proverb that is often repeated.
The standard word for 'proverb' or 'saying'. It is the most direct equivalent for 'byword' in the sense of a pithy, traditional saying.
'Haste makes waste' is a well-known byword.
Refers to a 'maxim' or 'aphorism', often with a moral or practical lesson. Slightly more formal than ことわざ.
Means 'pet phrase' or 'catchphrase'. It can be used when a byword is a phrase someone frequently repeats, but it is not a general term for proverbs.
To say that someone or something has become a notorious example of a negative quality, often used in the phrase 'a byword for disgrace'.
The same pattern as the first meaning, but used in a negative context. It works for both positive and negative bywords.
The scandal became a byword for corruption.
Means 'laughingstock'. It is a stronger term for someone who is ridiculed, fitting the 'object of scorn' sense.
代名詞 (daimeishi) is stronger and more direct for 'byword', implying that the name itself substitutes for the quality. 象徴 (shōchō) is more like 'symbol' and can be used for broader representations. For 'He is a byword for honesty', 彼は誠実の代名詞だ is more natural than 彼は誠実の象徴だ, though both are possible.
Do not translate 'byword' literally as バイワード or 脇言葉. These are not used in Japanese. Always use the patterns or words suggested above.
彼はいつも古い格言を引用する。
He always quotes old bywords.
「時間は金なり」が彼の口癖だ。
'Time is money' is his byword.
Means 'infamous' or 'notorious'. It can be used to describe a person or thing that is a byword for something bad.
He is a byword for fraud.
His failure made him a byword.