麗
lovely, beautiful, graceful, resplendent
Readings
On'yomi
- レイ
Kun'yomi
- うるわ.しい
- うら.らか
Nanori
- ま
- よし
- り
Meaning
麗 centers on striking visual beauty: something lovely, graceful, and resplendent in appearance. The meanings all describe a radiant, attractive quality that catches the eye.
Most common words using 麗
20 of 71- 綺麗きれいN5
pretty; lovely; beautiful; fair
- 華麗かれいN1
splendid; magnificent; gorgeous
- 麗らうらら
bright (weather, mood, voice, etc.); clear; fine; beautiful; glorious; splendid; cheerful
- 美麗びれい
beautiful; gorgeous
- 麗しいうるわしい
beautiful; lovely
- 綺麗事きれいごと
whitewashing; glossing over; lip service
- 高句麗こうくり
Goguryeo (ancient Korean kingdom; 37 BCE-668 CE); Koguryo
- 端麗たんれい
fine-looking; beautiful; handsome; graceful; elegant
- 高麗こま
Goguryeo (ancient Korean kingdom; 37 BCE-668 CE)
- 流麗りゅうれい
fluent; flowing; elegant
- 壮麗そうれい
magnificent; grand; splendid; imposing
- 麗人れいじん
beautiful woman; beauty; belle
- 小奇麗こぎれい
neat; trim; tidy; pretty
- 美辞麗句びじれいく
flowery words; rhetorical flourishes
- 秀麗しゅうれい
graceful; beautiful
- 高麗こうらい
Goryeo (dynasty of Korea; 918-1392 CE); Koryŏ
- ご機嫌麗しいごきげんうるわしい
in good humor (humour)
- 佳麗かれい
beauty
- 典麗てんれい
graceful
- 口綺麗くちぎれい
elegant (speech); clear; high-sounding
Study
Etymology
麗 combines 丽 (a pair of decorative items) with 鹿 (deer), likely suggesting the beauty of a deer's antlers or a pair of elegant deer. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the association with paired beauty is well established.
Meaning mnemonic
Picture a pair of elegant deer with magnificent antlers standing side by side: their graceful, resplendent appearance makes them the loveliest sight in the forest.
Reading mnemonic
For レイ, imagine a ray of sunlight illuminating the beautiful deer: ray -> レイ, and the light makes their antlers look even more resplendent.