凄
uncanny, weird, threatening, horrible
Readings
On'yomi
- セイ
- サイ
Kun'yomi
- さむ.い
- すご.い
- すさ.まじい
Meaning
凄 centers on an intense, unsettling quality that feels beyond normal: something uncanny, weird, threatening, or horrible. It describes a chilling, extreme impression that disturbs or overwhelms.
Most common words using 凄
- 凄いすごいN5
terrible; dreadful
- 物凄いものすごいN3
terrific; staggering; tremendous; incredible; extreme
- 凄まじいすさまじいN1
terrible; dreadful; awful; horrible; ghastly
- 凄腕すごうで
remarkable ability; mastery; brilliant technique
- 凄惨せいさん
ghastly; gruesome; appalling; lurid
- 凄みすごみ
ghastliness; dreadfulness; grimness; weirdness
- 凄絶せいぜつ
extremely gruesome; lurid; violent; bloody; fierce
- 凄い事になるすごいことになる
to go crazy (esp. of a situation or thing); to get out of hand; to end up in an extreme state
- 凄くすごく
extremely; very; terribly; awfully; tremendously; incredibly; immensely
- 凄みを利かすすごみをきかす
to threaten; to intimidate
- 凄みを利かせるすごみをきかせる
to threaten; to intimidate
- 凄むすごむ
to threaten; to intimidate; to be threatening
- 凄文句すごもんく
intimidating language
- 凄烈せいれつ
fierce
- 凄艶せいえん
weirdly beautiful
Study
Etymology
凄 combines 冫 (ice) with 妻 (wife), but the historical reason for this combination is uncertain. The ice radical often appears in characters related to cold or chilling sensations, which may connect to the meaning of uncanny or threatening.
Meaning mnemonic
Imagine an icy coldness 冫 creeping over a wife 妻, turning her expression weird and threatening. The scene feels uncanny and horrible, like a sudden chill that disturbs the ordinary.
Reading mnemonic
For セイ, picture a séance where the uncanny atmosphere is so intense it feels icy: séance -> セイ, and the weird, threatening presence chills the room.