醜
ugly, unclean, shame, bad looking
Readings
On'yomi
- シュウ
Kun'yomi
- みにく.い
- しこ
Meaning
醜 centers on a strong negative judgment of appearance or condition: something ugly, unclean, or shameful. The meanings connect through the idea of being unpleasant to look at or morally repulsive.
Most common words using 醜
20 of 28- 醜いみにくいN2
ugly; unattractive; bad-looking
- 醜しこ
ugly; repulsive; detestable; contemptible
- 醜しゅう
ugliness
- 醜悪しゅうあく
ugly; unsightly; hideous; mean; repulsive; disgraceful
- 醜態しゅうたい
disgraceful behavior; disgraceful behaviour; shameful conduct; shameful sight
- 醜聞しゅうぶん
scandal
- 美醜びしゅう
beauty or ugliness
- 醜女しゅうじょ
ugly woman; unattractive woman
- 妍醜けんしゅう
beauty and ugliness
- 老醜ろうしゅう
ugliness of old age
- 身体醜形症しんたいしゅうけいしょう
body dysmorphic disorder; BDD
- 身体醜形障害しんたいしゅうけいしょうがい
body dysmorphic disorder; BDD
- 醜と美しゅうとび
ugliness and beauty
- 醜の御楯しこのみたて
the humble shield of our Sovereign Lord
- 醜名しゅうめい
scandal
- 醜婦しゅうふ
ugly woman; unattractive woman
- 醜形恐怖症しゅうけいきょうふしょう
dysmorphophobia; body dysmorphic disorder; cacophobia
- 醜怪しゅうかい
monstrously ugly; hideous; ugly and bizarre
- 醜業しゅうぎょう
prostitution
- 醜業婦しゅうぎょうふ
prostitute
Study
Etymology
醜 combines 酉 (wine vessel) and 鬼 (demon, spirit). The traditional explanation is that excessive drinking leads to ugly, shameful behavior, linking the wine vessel to the demon-like appearance.
Meaning mnemonic
A wine vessel 酉 beside a demon 鬼: imagine someone drinking too much and turning into an ugly, shameful mess, like a demon.
Reading mnemonic
For シュウ, picture a shoe (シュウ) that is so ugly and unclean that it looks like a demon stomped on a wine vessel. The shoe's ugliness cues シュウ.