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Kotomora

虐

tyrannize, oppress

JLPTN1StatusJōyō · secondary schoolFrequencyTop 2,000Strokes9

Readings

On'yomi

  • ギャク

Kun'yomi

  • しいた.げる

Meaning

虐 centers on cruel, oppressive treatment: tyrannizing or harshly dominating others.

Most common words using 虐

20 of 65
  • 虐めいじめ
    N3

    bullying; teasing

  • 虐殺ぎゃくさつ
    N1

    slaughter; massacre

  • 虐待ぎゃくたい

    abuse; ill-treatment; maltreatment; mistreatment; cruelty

  • 残虐ざんぎゃく

    cruel; brutal; savage; barbarous

  • 自虐じぎゃく

    self-torture; masochism; inflicting damage to oneself

  • 暴虐ぼうぎゃく

    tyranny; atrocity

  • 被虐ひぎゃく

    suffering (as a result of maltreatment)

  • 嗜虐しぎゃく

    sadism

  • 虐げるしいたげる

    to oppress; to persecute; to tyrannize

  • ソンミ村虐殺事件ソンミむらぎゃくさつじけん

    My Lai Massacre (1968); Son My Massacre

  • ルワンダ虐殺ルワンダぎゃくさつ

    Rwandan genocide (1994)

  • 児童性的虐待じどうせいてきぎゃくたい

    child sexual abuse; child molestation

  • 児童虐待じどうぎゃくたい

    child abuse

  • 八虐はちぎゃく

    eight unpardonable crimes (in ancient Japanese law)

  • 加虐かぎゃく

    causing pain; sadism

  • 加虐心かぎゃくしん

    sadism

  • 加虐性愛かぎゃくせいあい

    sadism

  • 加虐性愛者かぎゃくせいあいしゃ

    sadist

  • 加虐性欲かぎゃくせいよく

    sadism

  • 加虐愛かぎゃくあい

    sadism

Explore all words using 虐 →

Study

Etymology

虐 combines 虍 (tiger) with a claw-like lower component, suggesting the cruelty of a tiger's claws. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the tiger association is well established.

Meaning mnemonic

The tiger-head 虍 tops a claw-like shape, like a tiger using its claws to tyrannize and oppress.

Reading mnemonic

For ギャク, imagine a cruel tyrant making a harsh, grating sound: gyak! The invented sound gyak cues ギャク while the tiger's claws oppress.