噁
nastiness, nauseate, sickening
Strokes15
Readings
On'yomi
- オ
- ウ
- アク
Kun'yomi
- おこ.る
Meaning
噁 centers on a visceral reaction of disgust: something nasty that makes you feel sick or nauseated.
Most common words using 噁
- 噁噁あくあく
chirp; tweet; caw
Study
Etymology
噁 combines 口 (mouth) with 惡 (bad, evil), suggesting a mouth-related reaction to something bad or disgusting. The exact historical development is uncertain.
Meaning mnemonic
The mouth radical 口 beside 惡 (evil/bad) paints a picture: your mouth reacts to something evil or bad with a sickened, nauseated feeling.
Reading mnemonic
For オ, imagine an awful smell so nasty it makes you say 'Oh!' in disgust: Oh -> オ, and your mouth 口 reacts to the evil 惡 stench.